In
addition to being CEO of a new business that will debut in the Fall, Ebrary, he
is a
letter
press printer and binds books by hand.
Definition of ebook - an
electronic representation of text that used to be a book. There
are two
kinds of ebooks:
•
Software - file format displayed through software. This software might
also
protect
publisher's rights.
•
Hardware - a reader or device that displays content. Usually limited to
a specific
platform.
There are many competitors in the marketplace today:
Book sellers-Amazon.com, B&N
Hardware companies - Palm
Software companies - Adobe,
Microsoft
Content aggregators - libraries
(collecting a critical mass of content)
ISP's-AOL
Publishers - Thompson, Pearson
Rights Management Companies
There are different formats:
• OEB - Open Ebook Initiative
• SGML - authoring format, expensive, need
more highly skilled person, on UNIX,
been
here 30 years, no robust viewer.
• HTML - derived from SGML, used on
Internet, only text based file formats, not
secure enough.
• XML-
•
LIT - derivative of HTML, used in Microsoft's new reader software, LCD
display,
higher
resolution, better online readability
• PDF - open file format, publicly
specified, managed by a committee, maintains
layout
from screen to screen, viewed by Mac or PC or DOS.
Models for Ebooks:
1.
Purchase an ebook - the ebook is a physical object like a book.
2.
Check out an ebook - buy books electronically, share among patrons.
3.
Subscribe to a library - digitize books and sell subscriptions, such as
a
proprietary data base.
4. Advertising - doesn't work on the
Internet, the advertising market is bottoming out on the Internet.
Can't go to any one place
in the world to search everything - can't afford it.
Issues
No
established standard - there is a de facto standard.
Information
that can't interact - there are islands of information.
Content is restricted by cost or access, but access isn't
guaranteed.
Traditional
libraries provide:
Equal access
Community Service
Cultural preservation - local
history and local issues
Repository for information
Digital Libraries provide:
Central repository for the storing
and access of digital information Unlimited "shelf space
Always open - to those who
have access. Public libraries provide digital access to 70 million people.
What changes with a digital library?
•
All the services provided by a library are still valid and necessary.
• No longer restricted by
location or physically bound volume.
•
Simultaneous access to material by millions of people (could still
provide compensation to authors for value of content.)
•
Enhancements to research
What are the obstacles?
•
Political issues - vested competitive issues, copyright, cost to
digitize and access.
•
Technical issues - storage (cost to store), content submission (update
data) back-up, transactions (track use), and security.
•
Digitization - what format to use, cost/benefit analysis of digitization
using different methods.
His company, Ebrary, is a
collaborative environment for creating a digital library They have approached publishers, libraries,
corporations and associations They want to create Ebrary to provide:
• Open access for everyone without a
cost to read or view content.
•
Protection of privacy.
•
A photocopier business model, charging a minimal amount to download or
print a page.
•
Revenue sharing with the creators of the content, copyright holders.
•
Print on demand service to print a whole book, if wanted.
•
Based on PDF, inexpensive, retains the look and feel of the original.
Ebrary doesn't do the digitization, content must be submitted in digital format They can restrict the amount of pages to be read at one time, for first run books, for example. Customers will set up deposit accounts and will be billed against this deposit for copying portions of text or printing. Ebrary could coordinate with a library's catalog and its holdings. Customers could click to: link to a library, link to the publisher, link to purchase the ebook version, link to Amazon.com to purchase print version If customer purchases from Amazon.com then Ebrary and the local library get a small share of the order amount.