TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home

Archive for the ‘Digital Promise’ Category

By Paul Biba

J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., is the VP and Chief Analyst with the Frost & Sullivan North American Information & Communication Technologies Practice.  In an eWeek article, “Why Ebooks and Ebook Readers Will Eventually Succeed“, he lists his 15 criteria for a successful ereader.   He predicts:  “My prediction again: someday–let’s say, hopefully by 2025 but certainly by 2050–technology and business models will have matured so that eBook readers will be used by more than 50 percent of the population. At that time, reading an eBook will become a far better experience than reading a paper-bound book is today. And we’ll honestly look back and wonder how we possibly managed to kill all those trees and print millions of books on paper, when it’s such a better experience reading them on an eBook reader. “

The article is fairly lengthy but I suggest you go over and read it.  His 15 criteria (each explained in detail) are:

1. Correct size

2. Instant on/off

(more…)

By Paul Biba

The organizers of the 2008 Frankfurt Book Fair have just published the results of their survey “How will digitization shape the future of publishing?” The results are so interesting that I thought it would be worth publishing the press release in full. Here it is:

Frankfurt, 13/10/2008 - The organisers of the Frankfurt Book Fair – the global meeting place for the book world – have conducted a major survey to find out how digitisation will influence the future of the publishing industry, and who will be the driving force behind it. Over 1,000 industry professionals from over 30 countries responded to the survey, issued via the Frankfurt Book Fair Newsletter. The most interesting results:

• China’s digital influence in international publishing predicted to increase threefold in next five years
• consumers, Amazon, Google believed to drive the digitisation process
• e-content will overtake traditional books in sales by 2018
• online bookselling named as most important development of the past 60 years

As the much-hyped e-readers hit the stores, and digitisation continues to revolutionize all aspects of the book trade, this year over 70 per cent of respondents revealed that they feel ready for the digital challenge. The survey also reveals that current opinion is divided on the future of the e-books and digital content versus the printed word. 40 per cent of respondents expect e-content to overtake traditional book sales as early as 2018 – whereas a third predict that this will never happen.
(more…)

By David Rothman

How to get a TeleRead-style national digital library system started in the U.S., one that could inspire similar efforts elsewhere?

One of the best hopes lies in the Digital Promise legislation—passed on July 31 by the U.S. House and Senate, and expected to be signed by President Bush in just days.

The project will establish a National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies. It’s to be a nonprofit with nine directors chosen by the secretary of education from congressionally recommended nominees. Funds for fiscal year 2009 could reach $50 million for the center if its backers are successful on Capitol Hill.

TeleRead-friendly language in legislation

Now here’s a PDF where things really get interesting: "The purpose of the Center shall be to support a comprehensive research and development program to harness the increasing capacity of advanced information and digital technologies to improve all levels of learning and education, formal and informal, in order to provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy."

Notice the language? "Formal and informal." Perhaps that could pave the way for public-library-related activities, as well as school-related ones.

(more…)