Some
of the largest and most influential public libraries in North America banded
together June 5 to deliver a manifesto of sorts to e-book providers. The
libraries are pushing to make borrowing e-books as fast and easy as borrowing
p-books for patrons.
As
recounted by Library Journal on The
Digital Shift site, more than 70 library systems signed the ReadersFirst Initiative, which focuses on four principles aimed at lifting barriers and
restrictions on loaned e-content. Two of the principles call for enabling
library cardholders to download e-content in any format to any e-reading device
they choose.
The
other two principles clamor for integrating all e-book catalogs and all
functional processes involving e-books (checkout, placing holds, paying fines,
whatever) into one system, preferably the library’s, so that users can enjoy
the same seamless experience they have with hard copies. The libraries feel
it’s unreasonable to force users to pop in and out of each e-book provider’s
catalog to browse and search for titles, and then jump through more hoops in
order to borrow a title.
Some
integration is already underway but public libraries, at least the ReadersFirst
Initiative group, claim it’s not happening quickly enough. However, publishers
remain leery of permitting their e-books to even be allowed in libraries at
all, much less streamlining the process for borrowers.
