Libraries on the offense in the digital revolution

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/05/libraries-on-the-offense-in-the-digital-revolution/

Today, American Libraries magazine launched,Digital Futures a new digital supplement that features articles both on how libraries are innovating and leading, as well as paths ahead for taking the initiative. Digital Futures is the fifth American Libraries magazine supplement on ebooks and digital content.

“I’m so pleased to see story after story about librarians being proactive related to the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital revolution,” said American Library Association (ALA) President Courtney Young in apress statement. “For example, the National Digital Platform proposed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will accelerate the necessary trend of increased sharing of technology tools and services across libraries, as discussed in an article by Maura Marx, IMLS acting director, and Trevor Owens, IMLS senior program officer.”

In the report, two articles focus on particular innovative projects, and a trio of articles hones in on future directions for libraries and ebooks.

“This report includes eight other articles at the intersection of the publishing and library communities,” wrote Alan S. Inouye, guest editor of the supplement and director of ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, in a blog post for Digital Book World.

Want to participate in discussions about the burgeoning library ebook lending market? Join the digital content discussion at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco. At the session “Making Progress in Digital Content,” Digital Content Working Group (DCWG) co-chairs Carolyn Anthony and Erika Linke discuss the latest trends and then moderate a panel with Yoav Lorch (TotalBooX) and Monica Sendze (Odilo). The session takes place Sunday, June 28, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Moscone Convention Center, West Building, Room 2018. Print copies of this supplement will be available at the session.