Keynote Speaker: Eric Hellman

Why Libraries Exist: Transitioning from Print to eBooks

Libraries have historically delivered value to society by facilitating the sharing of books. The library “brand” is built around the building and exploitation of their collections. These collections have been acquired and owned. As ebook readers become the preferred consumption platform for books, libraries are beginning to come to terms with the fact that they don’t own their digital collections, and can’t share books as they’d like to. Yet libraries continue to be valuable in many ways. In this transitional period, libraries need to lose their collection obsession and prioritize their people, places, and community.

Session descriptions

Training Your Staff on eReaders – Megan Garza, Markham Public Library
It’s undeniable: e-books and e-readers are now more of a part of mainstream culture than ever before. But how can library staff be expected to help customers if they remain unfamiliar with the technology? When instructing customers on the use of the library’s products and services involves adding an extra vendor, several different layers of software, umpteen different devices and varying degrees of computer knowledge and it can be a challenge. A first-time trainer discusses her fledgling experience training public library staff about everything E.

The popularity of eBook readers and the Implications for Canadian Libraries – Crystal Rose, Ferriss Hodgett Library – Memorial University
Learn more about current eBook readers from the new generation Kindle to the latest Kobo reader. Are eBooks and eBook readers “greener” than print books? Find out what your library should know before investing in eBook readers.This session will culminate with a panel giving critical perspectives on the Kobo, Kindle, iPad, Sony and Nook eReaders.

CULC eBook requirement update – Michael Ciccone, Hamilton Public Library
The Canadian Urban Libraries Council is working on several fronts to assure that public libraries and publishers are communicating with one another during this highly transitional time.  Michael Ciccone from the Hamilton Public will be speaking about the initiatives being undertaken and the progress to date.

Lending eReaders – Cynthia Perry, Oakville Public Library
From idea to implementation, Cynthia Perry will discuss Oakville Public Library’s decision to loan eReaders loaded with purchased eBooks to its customers.  With funding from OPL’s Friends of the Library, a small cross-departmental team was formed and within a short time, Kindles and Kobos started circulating system-wide in November, 2010.  This talk will focus on the practicalities, challenges and rewards of an eReader lending program in a public library setting.

OLITA Lending library – David Fiander, OLITA Councillor

Follett School Library Project – Kim Salierno; Nicole Whitehead, Niagara District School Board
Nicole and Kim will share their experiences of learning to use eBooks on the fly in a school library setting. Ups and downs of supporting students in both a rural and urban setting will be shared.

Scholars Portal Update – Kate Davis & Bartek Kawula
The Scholars Portal Book Platform was launched in January 2010 to allow OCUL libraries to locally host all of their ebook collections in one location rather than relying on numerous publishers for content delivery. In addition to the archiving function that Scholars Portal Books provides, a single platform makes it easier for users to access and adopt ebooks as a vital resource in their research. This presentation will discuss the challenges associated with accommodating a variety of ebook formats, the current state of digital scholarly publishing and a glimpse into the future as seen through the lens of the library.

Browsing for Books – Sarah Forbes, University of Toronto Scarborough
You don’t have to have an eReader in order to embrace eBooks. This session will explore ways that libraries and library users can take advantage of online tools and desktop or web-based eBook platforms (excluding Scholars Portal Books and Google Books) to find, read and interact with eBooks.  More specifically, the session will highlight features that allow users to personalize their eReading experiences, printing and/or downloading capabilities, accessibility issues, quality control, file formats, compatibility with other devices, not to mention creating and self-publishing eBooks.

Google Books Library Shelf – Art Rhyno, University of Windsor & Dan Scott, Laurentian University
Google Books is a highly publicized book scanning project from Google, with a stated aim of digitizing 130 million titles representing all the unique books in the world (according to Google’s calculations), and currently representing at least 15 million works. In early May 2011, Google released (yet another!) API for the use of its Google Books service – the v1 Books API. And in late May 2011, OpenLibrary released (yet another!) API for accessing its collection – the Read API.
This session examines the possibilities for leveraging the Google Books service and the OpenLibrary API in a library context, offers some cautionary tales around using APIs that are subject to rapid change, and demonstrates how these services can be integrated into a library’s discovery system.

Canadian Copyright, DRM and eBooks: A Primer for Librarians – Dr. Sam Trosow, University of Western Ontario
This session will focus on how Digital Rights Management fits into the current landscape of Canadian Copyright; how DRM affects the usage of eBooks in academic and public library environments and thoughts on how this may play out in the future. Participants will get an understanding of the Copyright Act and potential new legislation, providing the necessary groundwork for analyzing and crafting solutions in particular situations.