April 27, 2024

MA State Ebook Pilot Offers Insights

Massachusetts Library System Logo

The Massachusetts State Ebook Project (MA EBook Project), conceived by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioner’s (MBLC) Statewide Resource Sharing Committee and the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), this summer concluded a pilot program, offering many insights into the challenges and promises that statewide consortial ebook lending programs may offer.

Declaring Independence

Statewide programs for ebook “ownership” are emerging in California, Kansas, Arizona, and Massachusetts, aiming for direct deals with publishers in some cases, and long-term preservation of local content in others.