Electronic books

This document outlines the Australian Library and Information Association's position on ebooks and elending. It includes ALIA's values, goals and objectives and guiding principles for ebooks and elending. ALIA's overaching principles and operational principles are also stated.

This brief submission raised the issue of libraries' limited access to ebooks for elending purposes because of publishers' restrictions on sales of ebook titles to libraries. 

Taking into account feedback received from library and information professionals, ALIA developed a set of key principles for the procurement and use of ebooks in Australian libraries. These basic principles will guide the sector’s response to government policy and commercial initiatives, support our lobbying and advocacy, and enable us to take the lead in areas over which we have direct control.

This paper discusses the future of collections, 50:50 by 2020, is now available. ALIA predicts that library print and ebook collections will establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020 and that this balance will be maintained for the foreseeable future. To see the supporting evidence and get an idea of what this will mean for libraries and library management.

In November 2013, ebooks were, metaphorically speaking, flying out of the door and ALIA made a bold statement that ‘library print and ebook collections will establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020 and that this balance will be maintained through to 2040, when the last print-only generation hits 50’. In less than two years, the initial ebook sales boom has settled and the book industry is predicting the ebook phenomenon will plateau at around 20–30% of books sales, with print books remaining the dominant format.

In December 2013, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) commissioned Brussels-based Civic Agenda to produce a worldwide elending landscape report, identifying public library-led initiatives to secure ebooks for borrowers.

This report is a snapshot of the ebook situation in Australian public libraries in January 2013, May 2014 and May 2015, created by the ALIA Australian Public Library Alliance.

This is report is a snapshot of the electronic book situation in Australian public libraries in January 2013 and May 2014, created by the Australian Public Library Alliance.

The ALIA Interlibrary Lending Advisory Committee carried out research to find out if interlibrary lending and document delivery would still be important in the ebook world. This report highlights the findings and the information generated will help inform the work of the Advisory Committee. It will be of great value in discussions with library vendors, publishers, authors, government and other stakeholders.