Anyway, here are a couple other little news clips to look at if you have not seen them yet:
- Swedish web site offers textbook downloads. Ah, piracy is alive and well. A speaker I heard not long ago mentioned how the publishing industry was doing much the same as the music industry did in the 90s -- which gave rise to music piracy and resulted in companies like Napster and other P2P (peer-to-peer) networking sites for sharing illegal uploads for music. While some of us have long suspected it was only a matter of time for this to happen on the textbook side (and for similar reasons), here is some evidence that it has. An interesting read. Before we follow the music industry though and sue all of these students -- is there a way we can work with them to provide lower cost solutions legally? It took the music industry nearly a decade and a new entrant (iTunes) to come in and completely change the industry in order for a solution to be reached. If we do not want to end up like all the record stores around the corner, perhaps we should be more proactive in finding a solution.
- The Digital Bookmobile. A flashback to the past. I grew up out in the country, and remember when the bookmobile used to park, every other Thursday afternoon, near our town post office. I remember my first trip, and the many books the bookmobile helped me discover. Now OverDrive, Inc., one of the leading players in digital delivery -- particularly in the library space, but also doing some stuff in the college store environment -- is looking to revive the bookmobile concept. Not the small, Harry Potter-like bus I remember as the bookmobile as a child, this will be a tractor-trailor that will focus on interactive training and touring the U.S. library circuit beginning August 2008. The focus of the initiative is to help readers learn more about the digital offerings many libraries now provide -- from e-books, to digital audiobooks, music, and video. Libraries have been on the forefront of many interesting initiatives with digital over the past few decades -- and here is one more. If the digital bookmobile passes by your town I hope you will make an effort to take a look. Perhaps you will get an idea or two that stores could adopt. Certainly we have some things we could learn from our librarian friends. Maybe the idea of a Digital Bookstore (on wheels) is an idea whose time has come as well.
Well, I have a flight to catch, so I hope today's postings are of interest. I would love to hear your ideas, feedback or questions.
