Panel of ebook policy experts to address 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting

CHICAGO—A leading panel of library and publishing experts will provide an update on the library ebook lending market and discuss the best ways for libraries to bring together authors and readers in the digital age at the 2015 American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Chicago. The session “ALA DCWG: Libraries and Ebooks—Where Do We Go from Here?” takes place from 10:30–11:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 1, 2015.

During the session, leaders of ALA’s Digital Content Working Group (DCWG) and an expert panel provide insights on new opportunities available to libraries now that five of the world’s largest publishers provide libraries with nominal access to their full ebook catalogs. The expert panel will explore ebook lending issues, such as business models, pricing structures, privacy terms, and digital preservation. The working group will provide a summary of recent DCWG advocacy activities and explore new opportunities for collaboration between libraries and authors.

WHEN: Sunday, February 1, 2015, 10:30–11:30 a.m.

WHO:

-    Carolyn Anthony, co-chair, ALA Digital Content Working Group; director, Skokie Public Library (Illinois); immediate past-president, Public Library Association
-    Erika Linke, co-chair, ALA Digital Content Working Group; associate dean of  Libraries and director of Research and Academic Services, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries
-    Steve Potash, chief executive officer, OverDrive, Inc.
-    Matt Tempelis, 3M Library Systems Global Business Leader, 3M, Inc.

WHERE: McCormick Convention Center, Chicago, Room W196B

REGISTER: To attend the conference session as a reporter, email Jazzy Wright, press officer of the American Library Association’s Washington Office, at jwright@alawash.org.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 55,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.