As usual, there was much ado at the 2019 American Library Association conference. We had some really great meetings and made some new friends who will undoubtedly contribute to the National Agenda for Ebooks.
Shortly before conference, two publishers shared unpopular news about changes to their library ebook licensing. Blackstone, a major audiobook publisher, announced a 90-day embargo on library sales, and Hachette announced a shift to metered access. This ignited a good bit of attention at conference and led to a resolution that was presented to ALA Council that creates “a joint working group of representatives from ALA, ULC, ASGCLA, COSLA and other members to be determined to address library concerns with publishers and content providers.” ALA Council passed the resolution.
We hope that this action spurs dialog among all partners in the library ebook ecosystem, and that together we can forge a responsible path forward that connects readers to ebooks.