The accord allows the publisher to set prices on its e-books, a major issue in a battle that led Amazon to discourage sales of Hachette books. “If anyone thinks this is over, they are deluding themselves. Amazon covets market share the way Napoleon coveted territory.”
More from the New York Times.
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
Close The Libraries And Buy Everyone An Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription
A terrible, short-sighted (tongue-in-check, I hope) suggestion from Forbes.
Herein some of the responses:
Do you not understand the plethora of other resources available to library patrons outside of books? How would a subscription to this service replace those services? Libraries offer such free services as: counseling with a lawyer or social worker, internet access, access to printers and copiers (sometimes for a fee), ESL classes, multitudes of programming for children and teens, a community hub for learning and socialization, among many other resources. Libraries/librarians are often on the forefront of activism for privacy rights, particularly in the United States. How does a service such as Amazon’s lending program advocate for its community?
In regards to book lending itself, the Amazon service is severely limited [and] does not include a wealth of titles available through other services, including libraries.
***
If you added up the real costs (labor, planning, staff knowledge, etc.) involved in the work libraries do, it would be far more than is ever received in financial support from their communities. Libraries are one of the few truly public services where you can say, you get MORE than you pay for.
Herein some of the responses:
Do you not understand the plethora of other resources available to library patrons outside of books? How would a subscription to this service replace those services? Libraries offer such free services as: counseling with a lawyer or social worker, internet access, access to printers and copiers (sometimes for a fee), ESL classes, multitudes of programming for children and teens, a community hub for learning and socialization, among many other resources. Libraries/librarians are often on the forefront of activism for privacy rights, particularly in the United States. How does a service such as Amazon’s lending program advocate for its community?
In regards to book lending itself, the Amazon service is severely limited [and] does not include a wealth of titles available through other services, including libraries.
***
If you added up the real costs (labor, planning, staff knowledge, etc.) involved in the work libraries do, it would be far more than is ever received in financial support from their communities. Libraries are one of the few truly public services where you can say, you get MORE than you pay for.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Indie bookstores on the rise
The number of members of the American Booksellers' Association is slowly creeping up, a welcome sign after a steep decline from 5500 members in 1995 to 2191 in 2002. ABA is comprised of indie booksellers, and though the dominant narrative has it that the indies were slaughtered by Amazon, the numbers suggest that the decline had more to do with the rise of the big-box chain-stores (ironically, these are dead [Borders] or dying [B&N] and were almost certainly killed by Amazon).
More interesting is why the number of indie bookstores is growing:
More from BoingBoing
More interesting is why the number of indie bookstores is growing:
More from BoingBoing
Monday, September 16, 2013
E-books Market Share at 22%
From Publishers Weekly:
E-books accounted for 22% of all book spending in the second quarter of 2012, only a one percentage point gain from the first quarter of the year, but up from 14% in the comparable period in 2011, according to new figures from Bowker Market Research. In the year-to-year comparison, the hardcover and trade paperback segments both lost two percentage points each to e-books, while mass market paperbacks’ share fell from 15% in the second quarter of 2011 to 12% in this year’s second period.
This handy chart accompanying the article gives figures for every type of outlet from Walmarts and supermarkets through indie bookstores to Amazon and other e-book sites.
E-books accounted for 22% of all book spending in the second quarter of 2012, only a one percentage point gain from the first quarter of the year, but up from 14% in the comparable period in 2011, according to new figures from Bowker Market Research. In the year-to-year comparison, the hardcover and trade paperback segments both lost two percentage points each to e-books, while mass market paperbacks’ share fell from 15% in the second quarter of 2011 to 12% in this year’s second period.
This handy chart accompanying the article gives figures for every type of outlet from Walmarts and supermarkets through indie bookstores to Amazon and other e-book sites.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Library Use of the Mega Internet Sites, 2013 Edition
Primary Research Group, ISBN 978-157440-241-4
The study looks closely at how libraries are using Google, Pinterest, Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Amazon, Bing, Instagram, Vimeo, Twitter, Ebay and many other major internet sites. Just a few of the findings from the study are that:
• 4.17% of the libraries have workshops which teach patrons to use Craigslist
• 25% of the libraries sampled give workshops on how to use Wikipedia
• 90% of college libraries sampled give workshops on how to use Google Scholar.
• A third of legal and corporate libraries sampled considered Google Translate to be “highly useful”.
• Nearly 43% of libraries with an annual budget of more than $1 million considered Bing to be “highly useful”.
• The mean number of subscribers to the Twitter accounts of the libraries in the sample was 323.
• Non-USA libraries were much more likely than US-libraries to consider MySpace useful.
• About 23% of the libraries sampled had a YouTube account.
• Public libraries in the sample spent a mean of $8,000 ordering books from Amazon in the past year.
• 12.5% of libraries sampled use FlickR in their professional work.
The 160+ page study is available from Primary Research Group for $72.00. A pdf version of the report is currently available and a print version will be ready to ship on June 5, 2013 and can be ordered now. Site licenses are also available. Our reports can also be ordered through major book and Ebook distributors, as well as through major research report distributors. For a table of contents, list of participants, and free excerpt, or to place an order, visit our website at www.PrimaryResearch.com
The study looks closely at how libraries are using Google, Pinterest, Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Amazon, Bing, Instagram, Vimeo, Twitter, Ebay and many other major internet sites. Just a few of the findings from the study are that:
• 4.17% of the libraries have workshops which teach patrons to use Craigslist
• 25% of the libraries sampled give workshops on how to use Wikipedia
• 90% of college libraries sampled give workshops on how to use Google Scholar.
• A third of legal and corporate libraries sampled considered Google Translate to be “highly useful”.
• Nearly 43% of libraries with an annual budget of more than $1 million considered Bing to be “highly useful”.
• The mean number of subscribers to the Twitter accounts of the libraries in the sample was 323.
• Non-USA libraries were much more likely than US-libraries to consider MySpace useful.
• About 23% of the libraries sampled had a YouTube account.
• Public libraries in the sample spent a mean of $8,000 ordering books from Amazon in the past year.
• 12.5% of libraries sampled use FlickR in their professional work.
The 160+ page study is available from Primary Research Group for $72.00. A pdf version of the report is currently available and a print version will be ready to ship on June 5, 2013 and can be ordered now. Site licenses are also available. Our reports can also be ordered through major book and Ebook distributors, as well as through major research report distributors. For a table of contents, list of participants, and free excerpt, or to place an order, visit our website at www.PrimaryResearch.com
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Outlawed by Amazon DRM
Linn travels a lot and therefore has, or should I say had, a lot of books on her Kindle, purchased from Amazon. Suddenly, her Kindle was wiped and her account was closed. Being convinced that something wrong had happened, she sent an e-mail to Amazon, asking for help. This was the answer...
More here.
(Hat tip to Steve Bissette)
More here.
(Hat tip to Steve Bissette)
Saturday, November 26, 2011
ALA calls for Penguin Group to restore e-book access to library patrons
From November 22, 2011:
WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, the Penguin Group (USA), announced it was discontinuing the lending of new e-book titles to library patrons. In addition, library patrons with the Amazon Kindle e-reader will no longer be able to check-out any Penguin titles from libraries.
American Library Association (ALA) President-elect Maureen Sullivan released the following statement regarding the abrupt change in e-book access:
"Penguin Group's recent action to limit access to new e-book titles to libraries has serious ramifications. The issue for library patrons is loss of access to books, period. Once again, readers are the losers.
"If Penguin has an issue with Amazon, we ask that they deal with Amazon directly and not hold libraries hostage to a conflict of business models.
"This situation is one more log thrown onto the fire of libraries' abilities to provide access to books - in this case titles they've already purchased. Penguin should restore access for library patrons now."
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 60,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.
WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, the Penguin Group (USA), announced it was discontinuing the lending of new e-book titles to library patrons. In addition, library patrons with the Amazon Kindle e-reader will no longer be able to check-out any Penguin titles from libraries.
American Library Association (ALA) President-elect Maureen Sullivan released the following statement regarding the abrupt change in e-book access:
"Penguin Group's recent action to limit access to new e-book titles to libraries has serious ramifications. The issue for library patrons is loss of access to books, period. Once again, readers are the losers.
"If Penguin has an issue with Amazon, we ask that they deal with Amazon directly and not hold libraries hostage to a conflict of business models.
"This situation is one more log thrown onto the fire of libraries' abilities to provide access to books - in this case titles they've already purchased. Penguin should restore access for library patrons now."
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 60,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Amazon Launches New Daily eBook Promotion
The Kindle Daily deal works much like Amazon Free Daily Android App. One book is chosen each day. Amazon discounts heavily the ebook and promotes the title on the Kindle facebook page as well as on Twitter.
More HERE.
More HERE.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Monday, July 27, 2009
Amazon Faces a Fight Over Its E-Books
Last week, Jeffrey P. Bezos, chief executive of Amazon, offered an apparently heartfelt and anguished mea culpa to customers whose digital editions of George Orwell's 1984 were remotely deleted from their Kindle reading devices.
Though copies of the books were sold by a bookseller that did not have legal rights to the novel, Mr. Bezos wrote on a company forum that Amazon's solution to the problem was stupid, thoughtless and painfully out of line with our principles.
An apology was not enough for many people.
A growing number of civil libertarians and customer advocates wants Amazon to fundamentally alter its method for selling Kindle books, lest it be forced to one day change or recall books, perhaps by a judge ruling in a defamation case or by a government deciding a particular work is politically damaging or embarrassing.
Though copies of the books were sold by a bookseller that did not have legal rights to the novel, Mr. Bezos wrote on a company forum that Amazon's solution to the problem was stupid, thoughtless and painfully out of line with our principles.
An apology was not enough for many people.
A growing number of civil libertarians and customer advocates wants Amazon to fundamentally alter its method for selling Kindle books, lest it be forced to one day change or recall books, perhaps by a judge ruling in a defamation case or by a government deciding a particular work is politically damaging or embarrassing.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Reprint agreement will make some rare books widely available
The University of Michigan will make thousands of books that are no longer in copyright — including rare and one-of-a-kind titles — available as reprints on demand under a new agreement with BookSurge, part of the Amazon.com group of companies.
The agreement gives the public a unique opportunity to buy reprints of a wide range of titles in the UM Library for as little as a few dollars. As individual copies are sold on Amazon.com, BookSurge will print and bind the books in soft-cover form...
Maria Bonn, director of the UM Library’s scholarly publishing office, said the reprint program includes both books digitized by the UM and those digitized through the UM’s partnership with Google. The initial offering on Amazon will include more than 400,000 titles in more than 200 languages ranging from Acoli to Zulu.
The agreement gives the public a unique opportunity to buy reprints of a wide range of titles in the UM Library for as little as a few dollars. As individual copies are sold on Amazon.com, BookSurge will print and bind the books in soft-cover form...
Maria Bonn, director of the UM Library’s scholarly publishing office, said the reprint program includes both books digitized by the UM and those digitized through the UM’s partnership with Google. The initial offering on Amazon will include more than 400,000 titles in more than 200 languages ranging from Acoli to Zulu.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Reading Radar
An automated reading list of bestsellers created by combining the New York Times Bestsellers API and the Amazon.com API.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)