E-books
E Books are the new electronic format for works of every genre, downloadable from specialised or publisher websites direct to your e book reader or computer screen. Numerous e book formats are available in the marketplace, and multiple readers are also available.
Currently the access to ‘trade’ books in electronic format, that is hot new fiction and popular non-fiction, is limited in Australia by copyright and range. The most readily available books are in the public domain or from smaller specialist presses. However, there are a growing number of bigger trade publishers gradually digitizing their best sellers. As the market matures, ALS will be involved to act as a conduit for this electronic content. Please contact Simon Woodley at simon.woodley@alslib.com.au for further updates regarding our e-books service.
To read about the latest presentations from publishers around the world regarding their plans for e book formats and titles, one of the best sites is the IDPF, the International Digital Publishing Forum (http://www.openebook.org).This web site is constantly updated with content from international book fairs, special e book forums and general publisher discussions.
At ALS, we are always interested in new technologies and have invested in a number of e book readers to play with. We currently have the Amazon Kindle, the Iliad by iRex and soon, the new Sony Reader by Sony. If you would like to chat about these readers and the possibility of sourcing e books for your library, please give Simon Woodley a call on 08 8276 5500 or email him at simon.woodley@alslib.com.au.
Telephone 1300 136 490