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New wave of bills targeting libraries is ‘a threat to our democracy,’ American Library Association warns

The association, founded in 1876, condemned legislation that would threaten librarians and other educators with criminal prosecution for possessing “obscene” material.

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American Library Association responds to Penguin Random House e-book licensing announcement

New York City – Responding to a Penguin Random House announcement today that it will implement perpetual access for all of its e-book titles and cap prices per title, the American Library Association (ALA) said it welcomes improvement in long-term access...

ALA President commends Simon & Schuster on e-book licensing pilot program

Offers 50% discount on second year of 2-year lending term WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) and its Digital Content Working Group (DCWG) welcomed the announcement of Simon & Schuster’s new pilot on library e-book licensing. “This...

New privacy guidelines encourage libraries and vendors to work together to protect reader privacy

CHICAGO — On June 29, 2015, the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee approved a new document, "Library Privacy Guidelines for E-book Lending and Digital Content Vendors." The document, which outlines best practices for vendors to...

Information 2.0: New Models of Information Production, Distribution and Consumption

A new edition of De Saulles’ 'Information 2.0'

CHICAGO — The fully updated second edition of Martin De Saulles’ “ Information 2.0: New Models of Information Production, Distribution and Consumption,” published by Facet Publishing, is now available through the ALA Store. It provides a cutting-edge...

M-Libraries 5: From Devices to People

Mobile libraries, from devices to people

CHICAGO —The brand new installment of the highly successful M-Libraries series published by Facet Publishing, “ M-Libraries 5: From Devices to People,” is now available through the ALA Store. Edited by Gill Needham and Mohamed Ally, this collection brings...

Pew Research Center to share new data on libraries as community hubs at 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO—Over the last three years, the Pew Research Center has deftly documented how Americans perceive, use and aspire for U.S. public libraries. From e-book readership to library user typologies, to better understanding how Hispanics use public...

New American Libraries supplement finds libraries on the offense in the digital revolution

Washington, D.C.—Moving ahead is the overarching theme of the new digital supplement Digital Futures from American Libraries magazine. This report from the American Library Association (ALA) features articles both on how libraries are innovating and...

Panel to discuss ebook lending growth at 2015 ALA Annual Conference

SAN FRANCISCO—A leading panel of library and publishing experts will provide an update on the library ebook lending market and discuss best ways for libraries to advance library access to digital content at the 2015 American Library Association’s (ALA)...

ALSC Invites E-book Submissions for the 2016 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Pilot Program

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) announces that e-books, including a book published in both the country of origin and the United States exclusively as e-books or a book published in both countries as an e-book and print...

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...

ALA welcomes Simon & Schuster change to Buy It Now program

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Library Association (ALA) and its Digital Content Working Group (DCWG) today welcomes Simon & Schuster’s announcement that it will allow libraries to opt into the “Buy It Now” program. The publisher began offering all of its...

ALA welcomes Adobe action; greater attention to reader privacy concerns

Today, Carolyn Anthony and Erika Linke, co-chairs of the American Library Association (ALA) Digital Content Working Group (DCWG), released the following statement regarding the Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) software update: "Librarians have long been...

The Network Reshapes the Library: Lorcan Dempsey on Libraries, Services and Networks

Lorcan Dempsey on libraries, services and networks

CHICAGO — Since he began posting in 2003, Lorcan Dempsey has used his blog to explore nearly every important facet of library technology, from the emergence of Web 2.0 as a concept to open source ILS tools and the push to web-scale library management...

Using Massive Digital Libraries: A LITA Guide

A LITA guide to using massive digital libraries

CHICAGO — Some have viewed the ascendance of the digital library as some kind of existential apocalypse, nothing less than the beginning of the end for the traditional library. But Andrew Weiss, recognizing the concept of the library as a "big idea" that...

ALA welcomes Macmillan expansion of its public library e-lending program

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today Macmillan announces that its frontlist ebooks will be available through its public library e-lending program. ALA President Courtney Young released the following statement: “The Macmillan expansion of its library ebook program...