Category Archives: SALS News

LGBTQ Services for Rural Libraries

MacKenzie Ledley and Patricia Ringen of Pulaski County Public Library (Indiana) presented at the PLA Conference on LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered & Questioning) Services for Rural Libraries.  This was an extremely eye opening program that I knew I had to share with the SALS member libraries.

After a group of local teens asked Ledley if they could have their Gay Straight Alliance meetings at the library because the school would not allow them to meet on school grounds, she began to wonder if there was a need for LGBTQ materials in the library’s collection.  Ledley shared stories of how well received the new LGBTQ materials were received by patrons who were afraid to come out in their rural community, as well as the resistance she received from a few members of her board and community.   Fortunately, the library’s meeting room and collection policies backed both her decision to allow the teens to meet and for the somewhat controversial items to remain in the collection.  Continue reading→

Why So Few eBooks?

Ever wonder why there are so few titles available as eBooks in our catalog?  The answer is simple, but the solution is not. Many publishers (Macmillan Publishing, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group, Brilliance Audio, and Hachette Book Group) will not sell or license eBooks to libraries.

Your library can purchase a title from one of the above publishers in various formats – large or regular print, hard copy or paperback or even on a CD. However, the publishers will not sell the eBook to the library. The publishers are treating eBooks differently due to something call digital rights management (DRM) or digital rights content.

What can we do as consumers?  Let the publishers know we are disappointed with their decision not to sell their eBooks to libraries.  Write to the publishers, spread the word throughout our communities, put up signs in our libraries, post  messages on our websites,  be proactive.  Make a call, send an email (contact information below) to the publishers not selling eBooks to libraries.

As a profession, we should begin looking at the Digital Rights Management, the copyright law, among other avenues that will allow libraries to lend digital items in the same manner as the physical item.    I contend, that eContent is simply another format.

Macmillan Publishing  – customerservice@mpsvirginia.com  (212) 226-7521

Simon & Schuster-  simonandschuster.com/about/contact_us  (212) 698-7000

Hachette Book Group- customer.service@hbgusa.com (212) 364-1100

Penguin Group – ecommerce@us.penguingroup.com  (212) 366-2000

Brilliance Audio – libsales@brillianceaudio.com (616) 846-5256

OverDrive and updated Apple devices iOS 5/iTunes 10.5

Apple recently released a new upgrade for the operating system that runs on their mobile devices (iOS 5). This upgrade breaks compatibility with the OverDrive software on Windows computers. If any patrons have problems with their devices and request assistance with an Apple device and errors they’re receiving – this may be the cause.

OverDrive is aware of the problem and are working to fix it, but until an update for their software is available there are currently no solutions.

Apple mobile device users that simply use the OverDrive app downloaded from the iTunes app store should not experience any problems.