E-Books in Libraries

O'Brien, David R., Urs Gasser, and John Palfrey. E-Books in Libraries: A Briefing document developed in preparation for a Workshop on E-Lending in Libraries. Cambridge, MA: The Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 1 July 2012. At: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2111396

A good overview of the current state of e-book industry and the licensing of e-bboks in libraries.

From the Abstract:
"This briefing document was developed with helpful inputs from industry stakeholders and other practitioners in preparation for the “E-Books in Libraries” workshop, hosted on February 24, 2012, by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society with the generous support of the Charles H. Revson Foundation....Beginning with a brief overview of the history and the current state of the e-book publishing market, the document traces the structure of the licensing practices and business models used by distributors to make e-books available in libraries, and identifies select challenges facing libraries and publishers. Where possible, we have made an effort to incorporate stakeholder perspectives and real-world examples to connect analysis to the actual questions, issues, and challenges that arise in practice. The document concludes with a number of informative resources – including news articles, whitepapers, stakeholder and trade association reports, and other online sources – that might inform future conversations, investigations, pilot projects, and best practices in this space."