“For library patrons, the HarperCollins deal means 24/7 access to titles in the selected collection—no more waiting on a hold list for these titles,” says Andrew Albanese.
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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In time for this weekend’s American Library Association conference in Chicago, trade book publisher HarperCollins revealed it will make 15,000 e-book titles, including works from bestselling authors like Neil Gaiman, Louise Erdrich, and Dennis Lehane, available to US public libraries via digital lending platform hoopla, and others, including OverDrive and Library Ideas Freading platform.
“HarperCollins becomes the first Big Five publisher to offer e-books to library patrons on a multi-user, on-demand model,” Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer, reports. “Just five years ago, many publishers refused to allow libraries to buy and lend e-books. By 2014 they were all in the game, but with most publishers offering a one copy/one user digital lending model.”
According to Albanese, hoopla’s lending service is a multi-user, “transactional” model, along the lines of Netflix, that makes e-books available to anyone with a valid library card at a participating library. Each time a title is borrowed, the publisher receives a payment, also much like Netflix and other popular media streaming services generate royalties.
“For library patrons, the HarperCollins deal means 24/7 access to titles in the hoopla collection—no more waiting on a hold list,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “And for librarians, it’s an alternative to the complicated, inefficient licensing arrangements that have defined the early days of library e-book lending.”
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.