Since Overdrive discontinued their app on May 1st, 2023, library users are being directed to use the Libby app. There has been some confusion about this, as I have seen a lot of library patrons commenting that their libraries removed the Overdrive app. In reality, the company has been announcing the Overdrive app’s demise for some time. Some patrons are having a hard time getting used to the Libby experience. There is no doubt that the Libby app works differently than the old Overdrive app. And making the change to a new reading app can be challenging, no matter how tech savvy someone is. Mos ..read more

Amazon has notified customers via email that the company will be raising the price on its Kindle Unlimited (KU) subscription effective May 11th, 2023. The price will increase from $9.99 to $11.99, effective on the subscriber’s next month’s renewal date, effectively giving subscribers one month’s notice before the change takes effect. Subscribers have the option to keep their current prices for a limited time. Until July 31, 2023, subscribers can lock in the current $9.99/month price by purchasing upfront 6 months or 12 months of Kindle Unlimited. According to Amazon, “The lock-in price will t ..read more

By Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain January 1, 2023 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1927 are open to all! On January 1, 2023, copyrighted works from 1927 will enter the US public domain. 1  They will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. These include Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse and the final Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, the German science-fiction film Metropolis and Alfred Hitchcock’s first thriller, compositions by Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller, and a novelty song about ice cream.&nb ..read more

Today, Amazon announced its new Kindle device, the Kindle Scribe. The device is the first e-ink Kindle to add writing capabilities to its reading features and is obviously geared towards competing with tablets like the Remarkable, the Kobo Elipsa and the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus. While I personally own (and love) my generation one Remarkable tablet, as someone who is heavily invested in the Amazon/Kindle ecosystem, after a quick look at the specs, I jumped on the chance to pre-order this device with the front-lit display being the main selling feature since that is a feature the Remarkable d ..read more

As of July 15th, the Brooklyn Public Library has discontinued applications for its fee-based out-of-state library card. BPL offered a card for $50 per year.  According to the library’s website:  As of July 15, 2022, Brooklyn Public Library is no longer offering its fee-based out-of-state library card. Our priority remains serving Brooklynites and assuring that they can access the materials they need in a timely manner. BPL Library cards remain free for anyone who lives, works, pays property taxes or attends school in New York State. Existing out-of-state accounts will remain active ..read more

By Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain January 1, 2022, is Public Domain Day: Works from 1926 are open to all, as is a cornucopia of recorded music: an estimated 400,000 sound recordings from before 1923! On January 1, 2022, copyrighted works from 1926 will enter the US public domain, 1  where they will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. The line-up this year is stunning. It includes books such as A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, Felix Salten’s Bambi, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Langston Hughes ..read more

News had recently leaked of upcoming new versions of the Kindle Paperwhite. Today, Amazon has announced three new versions of the popular device, an all-new generation of Paperwhite, a Paperwhite Signature Edition, and a Paperwhite for Kids. All three devices come with a larger 6.8-inch display, a new adjustable warm light and 300ppi resolution. The new Kindle Paperwhite offers an increased battery life as well as an additional 10% brightness at the maximum setting. The device features 8GB storage and a USB-C charging cable is included. The price starts at $139.99. The Paperwhite Signature Edi ..read more

Every year, on January 1st, previously copywritten works enter the public domain and are free for all of us. The Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke Law School does an amazing job of bringing awareness to the importance of the public domain Every year, they write a post highlighting the works entering the public domain. This post celebrates the works of 1925. January 1, 2021 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1925 are open to all! By Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain On January 1, 2021, copyrighted works from 1925 will enter the US publ ..read more

Ebooks have been a lifeline during the various stages of lockdown, quarantine and social distancing. Even those who prefer print books have found that ebooks offer a safer and more convenient alternative – and, in cases where bookstores and libraries have been shut down or limited, ebooks may indeed be the only option available to them. Many local libraries have had to temporarily close, limit hours and get creative with ways to continue to serve their patrons (hello, curbside service!).Because of these changes, a lot of people have discovered their library’s ebook collections for the first ti ..read more

It may be the first example of fallout from Macmillan’s ebook embargo and other traditional publishers tightening of licensing for ebooks and audiobooks. Today, The Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP) sent an email to out-of-area fee card patrons letting them know that they will no longer be offing paid-access cards, effective November 1, 2019. Here is the email I received: Dear Customer: In order to focus its efforts and resources on customers in its direct service area, the Free Library will no longer offer paid-access cards. Your paid-access card will remain valid and usable for the durati ..read more