So about a month ago I got really icky sick. I was off from work for a week and a half, and then back only half time for a while… It’s been a nasty series of flus and colds and sinus infections. The upside was the fun hallucinations I had with the high fever. I [...]
It’s the year in review! Below are my favorites from 2012, just because. I did this last year too (2011′s version): Book – The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Movie – Iron Sky Band – The Album Leaf Song – “This is How It Ends” by Devotchka Serious Technology – Nexus 7 tablet Less Serious [...]
I want to break up with eBooks. Don’t get me wrong, eBooks is dead sexy and great arm candy at parties, as well as a magnet for attention and memorable experiences. But man…eBooks makes for a crap boyfriend. This relationship is as dysfunctional as it gets. And I’m too old and jaded to put up [...]
In December, Ryan Claringbole and I wrote a post about his library’s (the Chesapeake Public Library’s) sub-standard selection catalog from OverDrive: “OverDrive Has Different eBook Catalogs for Different Libraries.” eBooks that I could see in my library’s OverDrive selection catalog to license were not available in his library’s selection catalog. I decided to follow up [...]
With yet another publisher announcing today that it’s dropping out of the library eBook market, I decided to put up a new sign in our library in a few different spots to raise public awareness. The sign lists which publishers won’t do eBook business with libraries and provides contact information for the publishers in question. [...]
Send your own questions to me at librarianinblack@gmail.com, @TheLiB, or +Sarah Houghton. Transcription Welcome to episode 6 of What Sarah Said. Today’s question comes to us from Linda and she asks: If I have bought a Kindle book and want to lend it to a friend, can I send it to her Kindle to read with the assumption that [...]
Send your own questions to me at librarianinblack@gmail.com, @TheLiB, or +Sarah Houghton. Transcription Welcome to episode 5 of What Sarah Said, I’m Sarah Houghton. And today’s question comes from Amanda. She writes: OK, I know this may be forcing you to speculate a bit, but honestly, where do you see the line being drawn for most libraries when [...]
***Update 12/12/11: Overdrive has posted a response outlining the limitations of availability of certain titles to certain libraries, as well as differing terms of use for certain publishers or titles. See their response: Ensuring access to the largest eBook catalog for libraries. In no way do they defend the secretive nature of concealing the effect [...]
I’ve appeared on three notable shows recently that I wanted to plug and mention because they’re great shows. So check out the other non-Sarah episodes–they’re stellar! Good shows to subscribe to, for sure. Circulating Ideas (podcast hosted by Steve Thomas) – I appear on Episode 6 talking about digital content, Star Trek, readers’ privacy, and [...]
I’m excited to be teaching a set of two 90-minute workshops for ALA TechSource in December about eBooks. The title is E-Books and Access: Upholding Library Values, held the 7th and 14th of December. So what am I going to talk about? Review of the various for-profit, non-profit, and free sources for e-books Critical licensing [...]
Recent Comments: