Electronic books

In November 2013, ebooks were, metaphorically speaking, flying out of the door and ALIA made a bold statement that ‘library print and ebook collections will establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020 and that this balance will be maintained through to 2040, when the last print-only generation hits 50’. In less than two years, the initial ebook sales boom has settled and the book industry is predicting the ebook phenomenon will plateau at around 20–30% of books sales, with print books remaining the dominant format.

In December 2013, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) commissioned Brussels-based Civic Agenda to produce a worldwide elending landscape report, identifying public library-led initiatives to secure ebooks for borrowers.

This report is a snapshot of the ebook situation in Australian public libraries in January 2013, May 2014 and May 2015, created by the ALIA Australian Public Library Alliance.

This is report is a snapshot of the electronic book situation in Australian public libraries in January 2013 and May 2014, created by the Australian Public Library Alliance.

The ALIA Interlibrary Lending Advisory Committee carried out research to find out if interlibrary lending and document delivery would still be important in the ebook world. This report highlights the findings and the information generated will help inform the work of the Advisory Committee. It will be of great value in discussions with library vendors, publishers, authors, government and other stakeholders.