E-books in Libraries

CHICAGO – Readers nationwide can now borrow and discuss the first ebook selection of the Libraries Transform Book Pick, a new digital reading program from the American Library Association and Rakuten OverDrive. From Oct. 7-21, 2019, book lovers across the U.S. can borrow an ebook copy of the inventive and riveting saga “After the Flood” by Kassandra Montag at their public libraries without waitlists or holds.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – Today the American Library Association (ALA) and Public Library Association (PLA) announced a public campaign in response to recent efforts to limit library access to e-books. In a press conference held at the Nashville Public Library during the 2019 Digital Book World conference, ALA debuted an online petition at eBooksForAll.org for members of the public to urge Macmillan Publishers CEO John Sargent to reverse the proposed embargo on e-books sold to libraries. (See full petition text below.)

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Library Association (ALA) denounces the new library ebook lending model announced today by Macmillan Publishers. Under the new model, a library may purchase one copy upon release of a new title in ebook format, after which the publisher will impose an eight-week embargo on additional copies of that title sold to libraries.

CHICAGO - At the beginning of July, Tor, a division of Macmillan, announced without warning that it was immediately beginning to embargo ebook sales of new titles to libraries for four months. Today American Library Association (ALA) President Loida Garcia-Febo issued the following statement: