The library state

There are more than 16,000 public libraries nationwide. What is their state, when it comes to ebooks? Let’s look at the ALA’s 2013 State of America’s Libraries Report, released during National Library Week, April 14 – 20. According to Digital Book World: "Digital content and libraries, and most urgently the issue of ebooks, continues to be a focus of the library community. Libraries and publishers of ebooks have spent much of the past year seeking some middle ground that will allow greater library access to ebooks and still compensate publishers appropriately. Just recently Penguin Group USA removed a six-month embargo on new releases licensed to libraries and instead will offer new ebook titles immediately after they are released in the consumer market. Although other terms are expected to continue, including a one-year expiration date on ebooks licensed to libraries, this new development comes at a time when the ALA continues to reach out to the nation’s top publishers to explore ebook lending models in U.S. libraries."