Library administration

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.

This document provides an overview of how Australian libraries provide valuable support for Australian authors and publishers.