The Book is Dead, Long Live the [e]Book: E-Books and Public Libraries

Public libraries today are fighting to remain relevant in an increasingly technology-driven, digitized age. A new trend is emerging in publishing which challenges the traditional print models that are the foundation of public library service: the ability to quickly purchase and access books via e-reader products such as the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes and Noble Nook, the Sony Reader, and the Apple iPad. While e-readers are a new technology and currently primarily purchased by the well-off, anecdotal and research evidence suggest that they will quickly become mainstream, because of their ease-of-use, portability, and instant access.

What will the inevitable popularity of e-readers mean for public libraries? Libraries face several issues, including whether they should buy and circulate e-readers; how copyright and Digital Rights Management regulations affect the circulation of e-books via e-readers; what the potential demand from the public for e-reader titles might be and how libraries can address this demand; and how the traditional print book market is changing and what that means for libraries.

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