Public Library Power Patrons: Your Best Customers

By Katie Speace

Barbara Genco, Collection Management Editor for Library Journal and Ivy Library Consultant, spoke last week in New York at the O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference — an annual event where publishers, editors, authors, marketing professionals, librarians and booksellers faced with new publishing technologies can come together to learn about advancements, discover opportunities and share new strategies.

The New York Times Reports Parents Prefer Print

By Katie Speace

We reflected this morning on the popularity of e-readers as gifts for children and teens this holiday season as well as the growing availability of e-books at libraries. But a Sunday article in The New York Times has since caught our attention, reporting that a significant number of parents, many who use e-readers themselves, have drawn a line for their young children—they insist on sticking to hard copies.

All Hail the Library Card

By Pam Fitzgerald

We’ve said it over and over again: public libraries may be under pressure to keep up with technology, but the digital age has only brought more traffic through their doors.

E-book mania: Will HarperCollins adjust its cap?

By Katie Speace

In March, we reflected HarperCollins’ new e-book policy for libraries. The publisher capped circulations at 26 to howls of protest from librarians. HarperCollins hasn’t lifted or adjusted its restriction, yet the demand for free e-books continues to increase. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, e-reader ownership is multiplying. One study found the number of Americans who own e-readers jumped from 6 to 12 percent between November 2010 and May 2011. The American Library Association estimates 66 percent of libraries nationwide currently lend e-books to customers. And the demand is growing exponentially!