[CASL-L] ALA Launches E-book Media & Communications Toolkit

[IRENE KWIDZINSKI]

Today, ALA released the highly anticipated e-book media toolkit (the press 
release is pasted below). The toolkit includes op-ed and press release templates 
for library supporters interested in informing the public of the role that 
libraries  play in building literate and knowledgeable communities. 

 
We ask that you share news of the ebook media toolkit by sending your contacts 
to the toolkit at www.ala.org/ebooktoolkit (or if you blog, to the District 
Dispatcharticle at http://wp.me/p1zex0-2u5). Thank you.
 
Warm regards,
 
Jazzy Wright
Press Officer
American Library Association, Washington Office
(202) 628-8410, ext. 8208
jwright at alawash.org
www.districtdispatch.org
ALA Launches E-book Media & Communications Toolkit
 
As several large book publishers continue to deny libraries access to their 
e-books, and others make e-books available under difficult terms, libraries find 
themselves  unable to provide the reading and educational materials demanded by 
their patrons. As a result, many librarians are asking, “What can I do to 
advocate for fair e-book lending practices?”
 
To assist libraries in informing the public about e-book lending practices, the 
American Library Association (ALA) released today the “ALA  E-book Media & 
Communications Toolkit,” a set of materials that will support librarians in 
taking action in their communities.
 
Developed by the ALA’s Digital Content and Libraries Working Group (DCWG), the 
toolkit includes op-ed and press release templates for library supporters 
interested in  informing the public of the role that libraries play in building 
literate and knowledgeable communities. Additionally, the toolkit provides 
guidance on ways to use the media templates, as well as ALA talking points, 
e-book data, and public service announcement  scripts.
 
“The library community cannot sit by while publishers openly refuse to sell 
libraries the e-books that they need to serve their patrons,” said ALA President 
Maureen Sullivan,  who recently led several library meetings with publishers. 
“Librarians and our allies must speak out more forcefully in communities across 
the country. Everyone needs to know that libraries offer e-books and 21st 
century library services, but we are unable to offer all the e-reading choices 
our patrons  demand and deserve.”
 
The Digital Content & Libraries Working Group, a representative group made up of 
27 ALA members from various types of libraries, advises the Association on 
issues related to libraries and digital content,  and the provision of equitable 
access to digital content for all. The group has developed a number of other 
resources about e-books, including the report “Ebook  Business Models for Public 
Libraries,” a digital rights management “Tip Sheet,” and an E-Content supplement 
to American Libraries magazine.
 
To view the communications toolkit, visit 
www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/ebooktoolkit. All questions about the media 
toolkit should be sent to Jazzy Wright, press officer of the ALA Washington 
Office, at jwright at alawash.org.
 
###
About the American Library Association
 
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association 
in the world, with approximately 60,000 members in academic, public, school, 
government,  and special libraries. The mission of the American Library 
Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and 
improvement of library and information services and the profession of 
librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access  to information for 
all.
 
###
 


-- 
Sara Kelly Johns, School Librarian
Lake Placid Middle/High School Library
Instructor, Mansfield University School Library & Information Technology Program
AASL Division Councilor. ALA Council
AASL Legislative Committee
67 Canaras Ave.
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
johns at northnet.org
skjohns at gmail.com





"All knowledge is spendable currency, depending on the market"--Maya Angelou, I 
Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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