"When a reader places a hold on an ebook at their local library, they rarely think about the financial machinery behind that simple transaction. But for library administrators across North America, the economics of digital lending have become an increasingly urgent crisis — one that a coalition of t...

"Summer reading itself is deeply rooted in Pasadena. The library’s newsletter notes that the tradition dates to 1921, when the library created the Vacation Reading Club. Children who joined were given reading lists and, after finishing 10 books, delivered brief oral reports to the librarian. “'Civic...

"The demand for e-books and audiobooks has surged in recent years according to a 2023 report on the "Digital Public Library Ecosystem" published on the American Library Association's website. "Those titles should be some of the easiest titles to check out and enjoy, but behind the convenience of dow...

"As the debate over funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) heats up, nine cultural organizations have sent a letter to Congress urging the expansion of federal funding for the IMLS in its fiscal year 2027 appropriations bills. Markup by a House Appropriations Subcommittee on the...

"Seattle residents will make one of the year’s most important decisions on Aug. 4 voting on a critical issue: whether to replace the seven-year Library Levy that expires this year." "Much rests on the outcome. The Seattle Public Library with its central library and 27 branches is among this city’s m...

Nine cultural organizations, including ULC, called on Congress to expand federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in its fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills, which are scheduled for markup by a House Appropriations Subcommittee later this week. The letter is add...

"Today, ten cultural organizations, including the American Library Association (ALA), called on Congress to expand federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in its fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills, which are scheduled for markup by a House Appropriations Subco...

"Amid a growing legislative movement at the state level, five major library associations on May 27 released a joint statement calling for the nation’s largest publishers to come to the table to negotiate fair pricing and access terms for public libraries in the digital library market." "Citing an 'e...

"A coalition of North American public library organizations has released a joint statement aimed at the Big Five publishers and digital platform providers, calling on them to work with public libraries to address unsustainable ebook pricing models. On May 27, the Association for Rural & Small Li...

Contacts:Evan Ottenfeld (ULC): eottenfeld@urbanlibraries.orgLarra Clark (PLA): lclark@ala.orgULC, PLA, CULC/CBUC, COSLA, ARSL seek sustainable pricing for digital access for all readersAs community demand continues to ramp up, organizations representing the vast majority of North American publi...