I am approaching my study of internet from three major points of interest:
1) I am a Library School student, very interested in the impact digital publishing has on the library, the publishing industry, the librarian and the book.
I am curious about the future.
Is the future library going to be a museum like some predict? (1)
What is the library facing with the onslaught of digitized information?
What are library leaders doing to ensure the library remains vibrant in the future?
Do we need to make ourselves technological leaders in order to maintain a central part of society or do we keep a place "right behind the curve?"
I am concerned about the future of the library.
We are fine now but we are on shaky ground with the current teens and subsequent generations.
Interest in the library is consistency ranked the lowest among today's teens as compared to other age groups. (2)
For the library of the future to maintain its value to the tech-savvy, multi-media generations of the future, it
will need to speed up the tempo, add more noise, food and drink except in the archives( a branch that is a museum) and provide experiences in information that can't be had as effectively as at home.
Our current teens were born to technology and have accepted rapid changes of format. They don't miss vinyl records, Beta tapes, or black and white TV, and I don't think they will miss the traditional bound book.
I think they will accept the latest, greatest, and think the bound book cumbersome and antiquated.
What is the library of the future?
2) I am an author of stories and songs, wondering where and how to publish. What are the options? Is it better to try to get an agent? Should I bypass trying to get published traditionally? Are there free options on the web that I can use to achieve the same results promised by expensive publishing packages?
3) I am a future promoter wanting my author to achieve her goals. What are effective methods of promotion on the web? Is it possible to bring an unknown author to the attention of the reading public without support from paid alliances with internet giants? My author has had a hap-hazard history with spotty promotion attempts before losing interest. To be an effective marketer, I need a systematic, well planned approach, taking stock of what works and what doesn't.
For a more complete listing, see Bibliography page in sidebar
1) Weiss, Laura. "Buildings, books, and bytes: Libraries and communities in the digital age." APLIS 10, no. 3: 163, 1997. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 1, 2011).
2) Borawski, C. "Beyond the Book: Literacy in the Digital Age." Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children 7, no. 3: 53-54, 2009. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 1, 2011).
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Dr. Hersberger & Dr. Carmichael, LIS UNC-G (My favorite professors) & Me
Despite my trepidation, my decision to go to graduate school for Library and Information Studies at University of North Carolina, has been a positive, quietly life-changing, experience.
I was lucky enough to begin my continued education in Fall 2011, with what I call the Dream-Team, Dr. Hersberger and Dr. Carmichael, for two required courses, Intro to Library, and Research. I don't think I would have realized that Library School was the right place for me if I had started my coursework with any two other classes or professors.
I started Library School, beaten down and unsure.
Was I worth going into debt to go to school when I never even used my undergrad degree professionally?
While I raised three children successfully, and have had brushes with fame as a performing singer-songwriter, I have never been able to fit into the confines of a responsible job, preferring what I call Gypsy Jobs, such as waiting tables, and cleaning houses, living on the edge with my mind free, rolling with the roller coaster of bi-polarism, and putting the roundy rounds of a.d.d. to use.
Any responsibility besides my dedication to my children felt like an unbearable anchor on my shoulders, one I couldn't bear.
I taught 5th grade from Dec. to May in the early 90's and never went back. I was a star when I did my coursework for being a teacher, but the real job did not translate.
I felt hopelessly overwhelmed.
I lacked the air of authority and matter-of-factness crucial to a successful teacher.
I wanted to mother the children like my own and take them on learning adventures (!) but it was impossible.
Teaching and mothering, it turned out, were very different, something I had not realized while in school. First and foremost, a teacher has to have total control over his/her classroom to even begin to teach.
I realized the time and dedication it would take to become what I considered to be a good teacher was more than I could promise. I'd rather be a good mother/bum than a good teacher/frantic, overwhelmed, burnt-out-on-children-mother.
It looked absurd, even to me, paying my college loans with my waitress tips, and dancing on the edge of poverty with three children, but there you have it.
It is all I could do.
I could only function when my mind and expectations were my own in a job that was easy to find and easy to leave, and flexible enough to always be available for my childrens' special events.
I preferred renting our houses because if you have "nothing," you have nothing to lose.
I preferred putting my worst foot forward, flying under the radar and being invisible, for it gives you miles of freedom in your head.
I refused ceilings as man-made, replacing ceilings with sky. There I found vaulting freedom.
So....am I worth going into debt to go to Library School when I never even used my undergrad degree professionally? Will I do the same thing? Love the school part and hate the real job?
Fortunately, I had Dr. Hersberger and Dr. Carmichael in my first semester, both amazing, inspiring teachers.
The comaraderie I feel and the friendships I've made with my classmates are due to Dr. Hersberger's thought-provoking, but fun, interactive games. She's quietly powerful, academic and warm and can turn your world inside out and upside down. ( See my 6/17/2011 post: "My advisor is Dr. Julia Hersberger-Professor of Library and Information Studies at UNC-G" for more.)
Dr. Carmichael is an amazing spirit, a master storyteller, open, self-deprecating, warm and encouranging, as he twirls his long mustache. He turned research into magic, empowering and challenging us to embark on a journey of locating information, wherever it lives. I would love to read his autobiography!
Compiling my first bibliography about the bacteriophage was extremely gratifying. Despite some of my limitations, I proved to myself that I was capable of understanding very difficult text, out of my field, and explain it back in a clear and concise way.
On Tuesday Dr. Hersberger would rock my world, and I learned what it means: "The more you learn, the less you know" as we tried to apply definitions to what we thought were the simplest of words, like library, information, knowledge.
On Wednesday Dr. Carmichael says things out of the blue, like: "If any of you doubts your ability, or right to be here, I'm here to tell you that you're fine." I think Dr. Carmichael is a mind reader in addition to his other gifts. Dr. Hersberger has that same mysterious ability to talk to everyone and make it feel like they are talking directly to me.
"When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear."
Hsin Hsin Ming
I was lucky enough to begin my continued education in Fall 2011, with what I call the Dream-Team, Dr. Hersberger and Dr. Carmichael, for two required courses, Intro to Library, and Research. I don't think I would have realized that Library School was the right place for me if I had started my coursework with any two other classes or professors.
I started Library School, beaten down and unsure.
Was I worth going into debt to go to school when I never even used my undergrad degree professionally?
While I raised three children successfully, and have had brushes with fame as a performing singer-songwriter, I have never been able to fit into the confines of a responsible job, preferring what I call Gypsy Jobs, such as waiting tables, and cleaning houses, living on the edge with my mind free, rolling with the roller coaster of bi-polarism, and putting the roundy rounds of a.d.d. to use.
Any responsibility besides my dedication to my children felt like an unbearable anchor on my shoulders, one I couldn't bear.
I taught 5th grade from Dec. to May in the early 90's and never went back. I was a star when I did my coursework for being a teacher, but the real job did not translate.
I felt hopelessly overwhelmed.
I lacked the air of authority and matter-of-factness crucial to a successful teacher.
I wanted to mother the children like my own and take them on learning adventures (!) but it was impossible.
Teaching and mothering, it turned out, were very different, something I had not realized while in school. First and foremost, a teacher has to have total control over his/her classroom to even begin to teach.
I realized the time and dedication it would take to become what I considered to be a good teacher was more than I could promise. I'd rather be a good mother/bum than a good teacher/frantic, overwhelmed, burnt-out-on-children-mother.
It looked absurd, even to me, paying my college loans with my waitress tips, and dancing on the edge of poverty with three children, but there you have it.
It is all I could do.
I could only function when my mind and expectations were my own in a job that was easy to find and easy to leave, and flexible enough to always be available for my childrens' special events.
I preferred renting our houses because if you have "nothing," you have nothing to lose.
I preferred putting my worst foot forward, flying under the radar and being invisible, for it gives you miles of freedom in your head.
I refused ceilings as man-made, replacing ceilings with sky. There I found vaulting freedom.
So....am I worth going into debt to go to Library School when I never even used my undergrad degree professionally? Will I do the same thing? Love the school part and hate the real job?
Fortunately, I had Dr. Hersberger and Dr. Carmichael in my first semester, both amazing, inspiring teachers.
The comaraderie I feel and the friendships I've made with my classmates are due to Dr. Hersberger's thought-provoking, but fun, interactive games. She's quietly powerful, academic and warm and can turn your world inside out and upside down. ( See my 6/17/2011 post: "My advisor is Dr. Julia Hersberger-Professor of Library and Information Studies at UNC-G" for more.)
Dr. Carmichael is an amazing spirit, a master storyteller, open, self-deprecating, warm and encouranging, as he twirls his long mustache. He turned research into magic, empowering and challenging us to embark on a journey of locating information, wherever it lives. I would love to read his autobiography!
Compiling my first bibliography about the bacteriophage was extremely gratifying. Despite some of my limitations, I proved to myself that I was capable of understanding very difficult text, out of my field, and explain it back in a clear and concise way.
On Tuesday Dr. Hersberger would rock my world, and I learned what it means: "The more you learn, the less you know" as we tried to apply definitions to what we thought were the simplest of words, like library, information, knowledge.
On Wednesday Dr. Carmichael says things out of the blue, like: "If any of you doubts your ability, or right to be here, I'm here to tell you that you're fine." I think Dr. Carmichael is a mind reader in addition to his other gifts. Dr. Hersberger has that same mysterious ability to talk to everyone and make it feel like they are talking directly to me.
"When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear."
Hsin Hsin Ming
Friday, July 1, 2011
Tips for Marketing and Promotion on the Net
To promote your book on-line, you need to present yourself to potential readers. If you want potential readers to visit you, you must have a "place" for them to come. This is done by establishing a web presence by keeping an active blog or website. Search engines, like Google, are attracted to activity, trolling sites for keywords. The keywords used to describe your blog must match the content of your blog, which the search engine determines by scanning the pages for keywords and related terms.
The more links you have to other sites, the more you will be detected by the search engines. Reciprocal links are the best. Try to get other sites to link with you. Some publishing sites suggest joining discussion or special interest groups on-line, or twitter and tweet, to be able to link with other sites.
There are free sites where you can "feed" the search engines, and there are free sitemeters that track your site's activity. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the goal, and there are many articles on how to achieve this, as well as people you can pay to optimize your site for you. Search engine optimization relies on keywords which should appear in your page titles, your URL, headings and alt tags.
This site feeds your URL into a multitude of search engines for free:
http://www.addme.com/
This site offers a free appraisal of the speed of your website, simply by providing your URL:
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/
Blogger.com offers a way to monetize a blog site with ads related to the keywords which could potentially drive traffic to a site. A custom search engine is also available. If a custom search is included, a successful blog or website can lead to a liason with an advertizing sponsor who is looking for places to advertise. I have been debating whether to add Google Adsense and the custom search engine to my site. Other than cluttering up my site, it could mean more traffic, and more potential to sell books later. The ads might prove interesting to my study of internet publishing as Google promises the ads will relate to the subject matter of the blog.
This is information about Adsense provided by Google:
https://www.google.com/adsense/www/en_US/afs/
The more links you have to other sites, the more you will be detected by the search engines. Reciprocal links are the best. Try to get other sites to link with you. Some publishing sites suggest joining discussion or special interest groups on-line, or twitter and tweet, to be able to link with other sites.
There are free sites where you can "feed" the search engines, and there are free sitemeters that track your site's activity. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the goal, and there are many articles on how to achieve this, as well as people you can pay to optimize your site for you. Search engine optimization relies on keywords which should appear in your page titles, your URL, headings and alt tags.
This site feeds your URL into a multitude of search engines for free:
http://www.addme.com/
This site offers a free appraisal of the speed of your website, simply by providing your URL:
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/
Blogger.com offers a way to monetize a blog site with ads related to the keywords which could potentially drive traffic to a site. A custom search engine is also available. If a custom search is included, a successful blog or website can lead to a liason with an advertizing sponsor who is looking for places to advertise. I have been debating whether to add Google Adsense and the custom search engine to my site. Other than cluttering up my site, it could mean more traffic, and more potential to sell books later. The ads might prove interesting to my study of internet publishing as Google promises the ads will relate to the subject matter of the blog.
This is information about Adsense provided by Google:
https://www.google.com/adsense/www/en_US/afs/
Lost in Cyber Space
Publishing a book on the internet does not guarantee an audience. I did nothing to promote my self-published books on the internet and, as a result, I never sold any except to myself. I planned to sell my book Hip and Broke: A Songwriter's Journey at my shows, but if my intention had been to sell books on-line, I would have needed to invest major time and energy in marketing and promotion to not be lost in cyberspace like I was.
Every internet publishing site includes free tips on marketing, and offers packages with various levels of promotion included for varying fees.
I don't know yet if the marketing features offered by Amazon and other internet publishers can be replicated by the Do-It-Your-Self-er. There could be advantages for paying for promotion if the publishing site drives traffic to your website.
Driving traffic to your website is crucial for creating an internet presence from which books can be sold.
Every internet publishing site includes free tips on marketing, and offers packages with various levels of promotion included for varying fees.
I don't know yet if the marketing features offered by Amazon and other internet publishers can be replicated by the Do-It-Your-Self-er. There could be advantages for paying for promotion if the publishing site drives traffic to your website.
Driving traffic to your website is crucial for creating an internet presence from which books can be sold.
E-books &/or Print On Demand Publishing
The world of internet publishing includes digital copies of books in and out of print, books that are only found in digital form, and digital works that can be printed in book form according to demand, called Print-On-Demand or POD publishing. Publishing music and other translatable mediums is also possible on the internet, with opportunities for self-publishing and promotion.
The sites that publish E-books vary greatly. I self-published two books using Do-It-Yourself sites: Cafe Press and Lulu. At these sites, it is possible to design your book cover to cover, following specific guidelines for formatting (Adobe PDF files were required). There is no up-front fee and I was able to hold a paperback copy of my book in my hands for roughly $7.00 a book with the option to order one or thousands, the price decreasing as the quantity increases.
Cafe Press no longer publishes books, but Lulu is still active. Like other self-publishing sites, Lulu offers design and promotion packages with varied features in addition to do-it-yourself directions.
http://www.lulu.com/
While I succeeded in my goal to hold one of my books in my hands, I never sold any except to myself, even with the free bar code I obtained through Lulu. For a self-publishing author to actually sell books to the public is a trickier row to hoe.
The sites that publish E-books vary greatly. I self-published two books using Do-It-Yourself sites: Cafe Press and Lulu. At these sites, it is possible to design your book cover to cover, following specific guidelines for formatting (Adobe PDF files were required). There is no up-front fee and I was able to hold a paperback copy of my book in my hands for roughly $7.00 a book with the option to order one or thousands, the price decreasing as the quantity increases.
Cafe Press no longer publishes books, but Lulu is still active. Like other self-publishing sites, Lulu offers design and promotion packages with varied features in addition to do-it-yourself directions.
http://www.lulu.com/
While I succeeded in my goal to hold one of my books in my hands, I never sold any except to myself, even with the free bar code I obtained through Lulu. For a self-publishing author to actually sell books to the public is a trickier row to hoe.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA)
The DMCA or Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, was made effective in October 28th, 1998, by President Bill Clinton and the 105th U.S. Congress, in order to implement the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty (WIPO) and the Performances and Phonograms Treaty.
The DMCA amended Title 17 of the United States Code to extend the reach of copyright, while limiting the liability of the providers of on-line services for copyright infringement by their users.
DMCA Title One: Brings U.S. copyright law into compliance with WIPO and the Performances and Phonograms Treaty. It also addresses "anti-circumnavigation," making it illegal to try to "go around" security measures implemented on the web.
DMCA Title Two: Protects on-line service providers from copyright infringement by users as long as they adhere to guidelines.
DMCA Title Three: Assures that users repairing computers may make copies of software and other files without copyright infringement.
DMCA Title Four: Includes miscellaneous provisions such as adding to the duties of the copyright office.
DMCA Title Five: Boat hull designs are protected by copyright law for the first time, having previously been considered outside copyright law because their form and function were the same.
To read about the DMCA, this site is helpful:
http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf
For a break-down and explanation of the DMCA, this Cornell law site is very clear:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/
The DMCA amended Title 17 of the United States Code to extend the reach of copyright, while limiting the liability of the providers of on-line services for copyright infringement by their users.
DMCA Title One: Brings U.S. copyright law into compliance with WIPO and the Performances and Phonograms Treaty. It also addresses "anti-circumnavigation," making it illegal to try to "go around" security measures implemented on the web.
DMCA Title Two: Protects on-line service providers from copyright infringement by users as long as they adhere to guidelines.
DMCA Title Three: Assures that users repairing computers may make copies of software and other files without copyright infringement.
DMCA Title Four: Includes miscellaneous provisions such as adding to the duties of the copyright office.
DMCA Title Five: Boat hull designs are protected by copyright law for the first time, having previously been considered outside copyright law because their form and function were the same.
To read about the DMCA, this site is helpful:
http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf
For a break-down and explanation of the DMCA, this Cornell law site is very clear:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Pros and Cons of Electronic Publishing
Pros for Electronic Publishing
E-books save paper and ink.
E-books save space. Thousands of E-books can be stored in the space of one bound book.
E-books never go out-of-print.
E-book websites can include the ability to translate a work into many languages.
E-books can be instantly accessed from home without travel or delays.
E-readers can have features that allow reading in the dark, changing text fonts, or may have text-to-speech software for the elderly or blind.
Once the E-reader is obtained, the cost of individual E-books is less than printed books.
E-publishing makes it easier for authors to self-publish.
There are many free E-books. Anything written before 1900 is in the public domain, and current authors often offer selections for free in order to promote themselves. (1)
Cons for Electronic Publishing
Ebook formats and file types continue to develop and change through time through advances and developments in technology or the introduction of new proprietary formats. While printed books remain readable for many years, e-books may need to be copied or converted to a new carrier or file type over time. PDF and epub are growing standards, but are not universal.
Authors may not receive royalties equivalent to the use of their work.
Not all books are available as e-books. (2)
E-books do not provide the tactile sensations of a physical book, and cannot be wrapped as a present.
E-books provide samples to readers, introducing a possibility of readers grazing through many samples of work rather than ever actually reading a book from start to finish. Just as the spelling shortcuts used in texting have made it unclear whether our future generations will be able to spell correctly, the electronic book could change future generations to speedy grazers instead of readers. (3)
A book doesn't run out of power.
Documents in electronic form may degrade over time or become obsolete.
E-readers can't be dropped and must be protected from extreme temperatures and electromagnetic pulses and surges that do not effect books.
E-readers can malfunction and lose data.
E-readers are not biodegradable like the paper in books, and will hold toxic waste issues in the future.
E-books and software track data such as times, usage, pages, and details about what one is reading and how often. (Big Brother is watching.) (4)
Bibliography (For a description of each reference, please see Bibliography page in sidebar)
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book
(2) Weiss, Laura. "Buildings, books, and bytes: Libraries and communities in the digital age."
APLIS 10, no. 3: 163, 1997. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 1, 2011).
(3) Borawski, C. "Beyond the Book: Literacy in the Digital Age." Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children 7, no. 3: 53-54, 2009. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 1, 2011).
(4) Herther, Nancy K. "The Ebook Reader Is Not the Future of Ebooks." Searcher 16, no. 8: 26-40, 2008. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 1, 2011).
E-books save paper and ink.
E-books save space. Thousands of E-books can be stored in the space of one bound book.
E-books never go out-of-print.
E-book websites can include the ability to translate a work into many languages.
E-books can be instantly accessed from home without travel or delays.
E-readers can have features that allow reading in the dark, changing text fonts, or may have text-to-speech software for the elderly or blind.
Once the E-reader is obtained, the cost of individual E-books is less than printed books.
E-publishing makes it easier for authors to self-publish.
There are many free E-books. Anything written before 1900 is in the public domain, and current authors often offer selections for free in order to promote themselves. (1)
Cons for Electronic Publishing
Ebook formats and file types continue to develop and change through time through advances and developments in technology or the introduction of new proprietary formats. While printed books remain readable for many years, e-books may need to be copied or converted to a new carrier or file type over time. PDF and epub are growing standards, but are not universal.
Authors may not receive royalties equivalent to the use of their work.
Not all books are available as e-books. (2)
E-books do not provide the tactile sensations of a physical book, and cannot be wrapped as a present.
E-books provide samples to readers, introducing a possibility of readers grazing through many samples of work rather than ever actually reading a book from start to finish. Just as the spelling shortcuts used in texting have made it unclear whether our future generations will be able to spell correctly, the electronic book could change future generations to speedy grazers instead of readers. (3)
A book doesn't run out of power.
Documents in electronic form may degrade over time or become obsolete.
E-readers can't be dropped and must be protected from extreme temperatures and electromagnetic pulses and surges that do not effect books.
E-readers can malfunction and lose data.
E-readers are not biodegradable like the paper in books, and will hold toxic waste issues in the future.
E-books and software track data such as times, usage, pages, and details about what one is reading and how often. (Big Brother is watching.) (4)
Bibliography (For a description of each reference, please see Bibliography page in sidebar)
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book
(2) Weiss, Laura. "Buildings, books, and bytes: Libraries and communities in the digital age."
APLIS 10, no. 3: 163, 1997. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 1, 2011).
(4) Herther, Nancy K. "The Ebook Reader Is Not the Future of Ebooks." Searcher 16, no. 8: 26-40, 2008. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 1, 2011).
Monday, June 27, 2011
A Brief History of Electronic Publishing
While still in its infancy, E-publishing, and the growing popularity of electronic books (E-books) has, and is, having a huge impact on authors, readers, and the traditonal publishing industry. The book as we know it may become obsolete, and the library has a giant wild child on its hands.
To understand the current status of E-publishing, it is helpful to know its history.
Wikipedia is a good place to find information about new technology and digital era terminology. Other resources may be gleaned by searching the list of citation sources provided with Wikapedia articles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_publishing
The invention of the Gutenberg Press revolutionized publishing and opened up access to information for the masses in approximately 1440. It was not until 1971 that an alternative to the bound book is offered, when the U.S. Declaration of Independence is digitized by Michael S. Hart, his goal being to digitize and offer the world's 10,000 most influential books and documents for free.
Hart's brainchild, the first digital library, is aptly named 'Project Gutenberg,' evolving into a vast volunteer effort to promote the creation and distribution of E-books at little or no cost.
Earlier use of E-book communication was envisioned for, used by, and limited to small interest groups in order to share technical information without the delay of traditional publishing.
The bulk of Project Gutenbergs' vast collection of free E-books are written before 1900, their age placing them in the public domain.
U.S. Libraries first began providing free scholarly, technical and professional e-books to the public in 1998, through their web sites and associated services, although downloads were not offered. By 2003, libraries began offering free downloadable popular fiction and non-fiction E-books to the public, launching an E-book lending model for public libraries.
The scope of the E-book has evolved to include a much broader user base than originally conceived, but it is the required readers needed to access E-books that have fueled turf wars, splintering the potential universality of E-books with proprietarial features disallowing transfer of E-books from one reader to another.
Amazon, Apple, Sony, Barnes and Noble and other giants have released the Kindle, the iPad, the PRS-500, and the Nook, respectively, each snagging a share of the E-book market. The E-book demand increases as E-readers become more efficient and affordable.
While it is unknown if and when the E-book will be replaced by future technology, the E-book is currently outselling hardbound books, major bookstores are closing, and the traditonal publishing industry is turned on its ear.
Next are pros and cons of electronic publishing...
http://reviews.cnet.com/how-to-self-publish-an-e-book
To understand the current status of E-publishing, it is helpful to know its history.
Wikipedia is a good place to find information about new technology and digital era terminology. Other resources may be gleaned by searching the list of citation sources provided with Wikapedia articles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_publishing
The invention of the Gutenberg Press revolutionized publishing and opened up access to information for the masses in approximately 1440. It was not until 1971 that an alternative to the bound book is offered, when the U.S. Declaration of Independence is digitized by Michael S. Hart, his goal being to digitize and offer the world's 10,000 most influential books and documents for free.
Hart's brainchild, the first digital library, is aptly named 'Project Gutenberg,' evolving into a vast volunteer effort to promote the creation and distribution of E-books at little or no cost.
Earlier use of E-book communication was envisioned for, used by, and limited to small interest groups in order to share technical information without the delay of traditional publishing.
The bulk of Project Gutenbergs' vast collection of free E-books are written before 1900, their age placing them in the public domain.
U.S. Libraries first began providing free scholarly, technical and professional e-books to the public in 1998, through their web sites and associated services, although downloads were not offered. By 2003, libraries began offering free downloadable popular fiction and non-fiction E-books to the public, launching an E-book lending model for public libraries.
The scope of the E-book has evolved to include a much broader user base than originally conceived, but it is the required readers needed to access E-books that have fueled turf wars, splintering the potential universality of E-books with proprietarial features disallowing transfer of E-books from one reader to another.
Amazon, Apple, Sony, Barnes and Noble and other giants have released the Kindle, the iPad, the PRS-500, and the Nook, respectively, each snagging a share of the E-book market. The E-book demand increases as E-readers become more efficient and affordable.
While it is unknown if and when the E-book will be replaced by future technology, the E-book is currently outselling hardbound books, major bookstores are closing, and the traditonal publishing industry is turned on its ear.
Next are pros and cons of electronic publishing...
http://reviews.cnet.com/how-to-self-publish-an-e-book
Sunday, June 26, 2011
KD Rouse: Thoughts on the Library
Despite my reservations about the potential to ruin a personal haven by working there, (See One Legged Larry & Leery of the Library. KD Rouse. Exploration of Internet Publishing and Promotion Blog. June 17th., 4:42 pm post) I have just successfully completed my first year of Library School at University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
While I have not actually worked in a library, the library has not lost its luster under scrutiny. My admiration and devotion for the library grows as I learn of its heart, brains and guts. It is a place of dreams, and unapologetic triumph, endless destinations, and social reform, manned by a diverse array of unassuming, but fierce defenders of free speech, social equality, and intellectual freedom.
To me, the library is the most successful institution in its marriage to the ideals ensured to us by the U.S. constitution. It is fluid, responding, rising, changing as information builds and morphs to new systems of delivery, driven by technology.
The American Library Association, (ALA) the primary professional association for librarians, embraces a clear mission steeped with workable idealism, proving its dedication and success in implementing social reform and invoking and enforcing our constitutional rights by its history. The ALA provides cohesiveness to the group charged with guarding open and easy access information for all, in an environment of dizzying change.
The ALA has a proud history and matter-of-fact presence, while it keeps a vigilant eye on the future.
When I walk into a library, I leave the frenzied world behind. I am welcome, no matter who I am or what I look like. It is warm when I am cold, cool when I am hot.
I smell equality, freedom, and the scent of books, and I can wander whereever I will and pick books like posies in any bouquet that strikes my fancy.
My library card is used and worn, but the thrill of being allowed to take books home with me never fades.
I leave with anticipation, happy with the heaviness of my bag.
I devour them behind closed doors, selfish and demanding, using them, then returning them without remorse when I am done.
While I have not actually worked in a library, the library has not lost its luster under scrutiny. My admiration and devotion for the library grows as I learn of its heart, brains and guts. It is a place of dreams, and unapologetic triumph, endless destinations, and social reform, manned by a diverse array of unassuming, but fierce defenders of free speech, social equality, and intellectual freedom.
To me, the library is the most successful institution in its marriage to the ideals ensured to us by the U.S. constitution. It is fluid, responding, rising, changing as information builds and morphs to new systems of delivery, driven by technology.
The American Library Association, (ALA) the primary professional association for librarians, embraces a clear mission steeped with workable idealism, proving its dedication and success in implementing social reform and invoking and enforcing our constitutional rights by its history. The ALA provides cohesiveness to the group charged with guarding open and easy access information for all, in an environment of dizzying change.
The ALA has a proud history and matter-of-fact presence, while it keeps a vigilant eye on the future.
When I walk into a library, I leave the frenzied world behind. I am welcome, no matter who I am or what I look like. It is warm when I am cold, cool when I am hot.
I smell equality, freedom, and the scent of books, and I can wander whereever I will and pick books like posies in any bouquet that strikes my fancy.
My library card is used and worn, but the thrill of being allowed to take books home with me never fades.
I leave with anticipation, happy with the heaviness of my bag.
I devour them behind closed doors, selfish and demanding, using them, then returning them without remorse when I am done.
KD Rouse: Tortoise and Future Librarian
I am halfway through the coursework required to obtain a Master's degree in Library and Information Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In my current project, I am studying internet publishing and promotion opportunities, and hope to gain a more solid understanding of the impact of electronic publishing to the library, the traditional publishing industry, to authors and readers.
Besides my curiosity as a future librarian, I am fueled in my search by my desire to be a published author.
I have written for 30 years, in and around the sidelines of my primary life of being a mother, and my secondary lives, as college-student, performing singer-songwriter, and waitress extraordinaire. My collection of work is testimony to the tortoise, plodding but steadfast.
Even when definitions of 'here to there' are elusive and ever-changing, destinations will be reached if you continue on and on, step by step. You may be entirely surprised at where your baby steps have led you as you continually redefine where you are and where you want to be, but if you plod onward, moving around obstacles, like the tortoise, you will get many somewheres.
The tortoise's pace makes him laughable to spectators, but he has time to scope the road ahead, avoiding useless or dangerous tangents. His shell protects him from predators and naysayers, and on and on the tortoise goes.
My vast collection of mostly secret writing also provides an illustration of how to cope and create whilst beset by the bi-polar ups and downs and roundy-rounds. Stay busy, busy, busy, through the ups and downs, and for the roundy-rounds, nudge your circles to elipses, and touch down on all the same destinations over and over again.
Elipses lead to spirals, moving, not stagnant, and roundy-rounds can be momentum instead of a blockade if you visit and revisit your favorite spots over and over again.
While medication to help manage the bi-polar is usually crucial to being alive, I also believe that being bi-polar is a case of different wiring, and if you take that wiring in mind, it is possible to be productive.
In myself, I have noticed the way I order tasks is unusual. In cleaning my house, I might wander from room to room starting dozens of jobs towards that end.
If I only circled once, my tasks would be unfinished and my house would still be dirty.
If I circle my house, round and round, touching down on the same destinations, or tasks, and furthering each one as I wander, eventually my house is clean, maybe in the same time as it takes for a more straightforward, ordered approach.
A writer may have many stories started that will be finished by touching down and revisiting, writing, and revising, over and over again.
Visit your chosen tasks, your friends, your goals, in your spiraling wanderings, touching down on the same destinations, with the deliberation of the tortoise, and you will cross many finish lines.
Besides my curiosity as a future librarian, I am fueled in my search by my desire to be a published author.
I have written for 30 years, in and around the sidelines of my primary life of being a mother, and my secondary lives, as college-student, performing singer-songwriter, and waitress extraordinaire. My collection of work is testimony to the tortoise, plodding but steadfast.
Even when definitions of 'here to there' are elusive and ever-changing, destinations will be reached if you continue on and on, step by step. You may be entirely surprised at where your baby steps have led you as you continually redefine where you are and where you want to be, but if you plod onward, moving around obstacles, like the tortoise, you will get many somewheres.
The tortoise's pace makes him laughable to spectators, but he has time to scope the road ahead, avoiding useless or dangerous tangents. His shell protects him from predators and naysayers, and on and on the tortoise goes.
My vast collection of mostly secret writing also provides an illustration of how to cope and create whilst beset by the bi-polar ups and downs and roundy-rounds. Stay busy, busy, busy, through the ups and downs, and for the roundy-rounds, nudge your circles to elipses, and touch down on all the same destinations over and over again.
Elipses lead to spirals, moving, not stagnant, and roundy-rounds can be momentum instead of a blockade if you visit and revisit your favorite spots over and over again.
While medication to help manage the bi-polar is usually crucial to being alive, I also believe that being bi-polar is a case of different wiring, and if you take that wiring in mind, it is possible to be productive.
In myself, I have noticed the way I order tasks is unusual. In cleaning my house, I might wander from room to room starting dozens of jobs towards that end.
If I only circled once, my tasks would be unfinished and my house would still be dirty.
If I circle my house, round and round, touching down on the same destinations, or tasks, and furthering each one as I wander, eventually my house is clean, maybe in the same time as it takes for a more straightforward, ordered approach.
A writer may have many stories started that will be finished by touching down and revisiting, writing, and revising, over and over again.
Visit your chosen tasks, your friends, your goals, in your spiraling wanderings, touching down on the same destinations, with the deliberation of the tortoise, and you will cross many finish lines.
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