Bibliotheca Spices Up the Library Ebook Market

摘要

Another ebook aggregator is about to enter the market, further whetting Ji librarians' appetites and spicing up the market. This time, it is Bibliotheca, a global developer that supplies technologies designed to enhance library efficiency and the user experience. More commonly known for its RFID and self-checkout systems, which it supplies to 3,000-plus libraries worldwide, Bibliotheca announced its intentions to support an open source ebook model in a press release on June 19,2012, just before the American Library Association Annual Conference.The plan has several objectives. First, create a library cooperative buying platform to lower acquisition costs for econtent by negotiating discounts with publishers. Second, integrate the solution seamlessly with all major integrated library systems (ILS) to create a user-friendly environment for patrons. Third, expand the digital content offered by publishers to libraries. In a nutshell, Bibliotheca hopes to empower libraries to take control of their digital content. This solution could not come soon enough due to libraries' dissatisfaction with the limited choices for downloadable digital content, particularly when it relates to ownership of content.