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spacer Abstract The University of California's California Digital Library (CDL) formed an Ebook Task Force in August 2000 to evaluate academic libraries' experiences with electronic books (e-books), investigate the e-book market, and develop operating guidelines, principles and potential strategies for further exploration of the use of e-books at the University of California (UC). This article, based on the findings and recommendations of the Task Force Report [1], briefly summarizes task force findings, and outlines issues and recommendations for making e-books viable over the long term in the academic environment, based on the long-term goals of building strong research collections and providing high level services and collections to its users.

current link just goes to First Monday; I went to the article and bookmarked it.

It seems that Amazon.com's Kindle is not the flop that many predicted when the e-book reader debuted last year. Citibank's Mark Mahaney has just doubled his forecast of Kindle sales for the year to 380,000. He figures that Amazon's sales of Kindle hardware and software will hit $1 billion by 2010.

Ingram Digital is the leading digital content distributor and supplier of content management, distribution and hosting solutions for publishers, retailers, libraries and institutions worldwide. Ingram Digital's mission is to enable publishers to maximize their market exposure and revenue opportunities, regardless of channel, by providing a comprehensive suite of content management and distribution services.

The Penn Library is currently testing out various e-book products, both publisher specific as well as aggregate platforms, and it looking for input from graduate and professional students. Most of the these trials expire in mid to late October, so you would need to take a look at these within the next few weeks. The Library is interested in receiving feedback regarding both interface functionality as well as the quality/scope of the content offered. Are the publishers represented significant to you? Are there noticeably absent ones (from the aggregated collections)?

NYPL offers ability to download audiobooks, etc

The national e-books observatory project is about exploring impacts, observing behaviours and developing new models to stimulate the e-books market, and to do all this in a managed environment.

"Established in 1997, the California Digital Library has a wholly digital charter and two complementary but distinct roles. As an arm of systemwide library planning, CDL supports the University of California libraries in their mission of providing access to the world's knowledge for the UC campuses and the communities they serve. In so doing, it directly supports UC's mission of teaching, research, and public service. The CDL also maintains its own distinctive programs emphasizing the development and management of digital collections, innovation in scholarly publishing, and the long-term preservation of digital information."

An examination of the literature published about electronic books (e-books) between 2000-2007 helps to determine the factors that may have influenced academic e-book offerings and the adoption of e-books in academic libraries. The literature reflects e-book concepts and offerings dating back to 1945, as well as studies and perceptions of opportunities and challenges related to e-books. In an attempt to explain why the integration of e-books into academic library collections has been very gradual during this period, this article presents a summary of the literature that addresses issues related to electronic versions of books that are made accessible online. This includes both books that are digitized and born digital.

CIBER projects Live projects Digital Lives for the Arts & Humanities Research Council (September 2007 to April 2009). Evaluating the Usage and Impact of E-Journals in the UK for the Research Information Network (January to November 2008). UK National E-Books Observatory for JISC Collections (January 2008 to April 2009). Recently completed projects MaxData for the US Institute of Museum & Library Studies. Completed December 2007. SuperBook for a consortium of publishers. Completed December 2007. The Impact of Open Access Journal Publishing II for Oxford University Press. Completed November 2007. The Researcher of the Future for the British Library and JISC. Completed November 2007.

Evaluating e-books nationwide - JISC national e-books observatory project In this ground-breaking project over 120 UK universities will receive two years free access to reading materials in e-book form to support students studying in Business and Management, Medicine, Media Studies and Engineering. Titles will be licensed from a variety of publishers / aggregator in order to create mulit-publisher subject collections that are based on demand. During September to December 2007 these titles will be embedded in host institutions and their existence promoted. Then for a period of 12 months from January 2008 the use and impact of these titles in universities will be monitored by CIBER UCL employing deep log analysis (DLA) and follow-up qualitative work will be undertaken by University of Wales (Aberystwyth). Altogether it is expected that the National E-books Observatory will monitor and evaluate the behaviour of tens of thousands of UK students and faculty.