Summary of an article about ebooks: "At the Tipping Point"
from Library Journal, August 2010 Vol. 135 No. 13

This article is split into four sections. The first is called “Libraries, Ebooks, and Competition” by Eric Hellman. He compares ebooks to the internet and how it changed the balance of knowledge with the public. It is important for libraries to stay with technology to keep up with the shifting needs of the community.

The second section is called “Ebooks and the Retailization of Research” by Barbara Fisher. This section looks at the downside of ebooks. Four major points against ebooks are the inability to share books, the ability of amazon to simply make a book vanish, the ability for others to see what and how long you were looking at a book, and the lack of browsing capabilities like in a bookstore. While this could make books cheaper and easier for everyone to get, there are also a lot of problems with ebooks and ebook readers.

The third section is called “Ebook Sanity” by Jason Griffey. This section questions what exactly libraries are trying to do with ebooks. The purpose of a library is to share knowledge and in what Griffey calls a “misfit between models,” limiting the number of digital copies to fit the limitation on checkout copies is simply silly.

The fourth section is called “E-Texts for All (Even Lucy)” by Char Booth. This section is about the inaccessibility of ebooks for the blind. Originally, because Braille texts aren’t very practical, online texts were created for blind people. However, as ebooks have become increasingly commercial, they have become increasingly inaccessible to people unable to see.

Every section was interesting, but most of them brought up points that don't have answers yet, especially the section by Jason Griffey. This article focuses on how ebooks relate to libraries, but authors, publishers and literary agents are also arguing over the prices and accessibility of ebooks. Even amazon is in the fray, trying to lower ebook prices so more people will buy kindles.

Banned Book Week starts today

Thanks to Stephen's Lighthouse for showcasing this video and keeping an important idea at the forefront of our thinking.

Jeannette Walls in Winnetka

From the Bookstall website: JEANNETTE WALLS talks about her writing and the phenomenal success of her memoir The Glass Castle and her most recent bestseller, Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel, the compelling story of her grandmother that became an instant classic when it was first published, in 2009. It’s new in paperback. For more information call: 847 446-8880. In addition to a luncheon, JEANNETTE WALLS will speak about and sign her books at the store at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 14, 2010.