[Michlib-l] eBooks Killed The pBooks Star? Maybe Not, At Least Not Yet

[Jim Flury]

All,

In September, 2011 OverDrive rocked the book world (digital and print) with this announcement: OverDrive and Amazon launch Kindle® compatibility with Library eBooks. Wow! It was a huge deal at the time, and served to really propel eBooks into the forefront. Tons of people found Kindle eReaders under the tree the morning of December 25, and they promptly took them to the library to ask "how do I make it go?" on December 26. The demise of the physical book was certainly not far off, just as in 1979 (if you are old enough to remember when this was released, then that means you are 40+...omg) the end of radio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ was at hand, too.

Fast forward five years later. OverDrive still retains its exclusive deal with Amazon, although the release of newer Kindle products has meant this exclusivity is less relevant today. But what else is going on? For some time we have been reading as to how sales of eBoooks are flat, or stagnant, or some other term meaning they either are not increasing or if so, very slowly. What is popular today? Audiobooks and print books! http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/business/media/audiobooks-turn-more-readers-into-listeners-as-e-books-slip.html?_r=0

eBooks are mainstream in both the library and consumer markets now. That is not going to change. But "the digital shift" seems to have slowed, at least for now. And although this isn't discussed in the NYT piece, other articles I've read have pointed out that it isn't just "old people" (I can use that term on account I'm either getting there, or depending on how you define it already there, myself) who are hanging on to their killed tree format. Millenials, that much talked about group of people that now outnumber the boomers, are also discovering pBooks and finding them to be pretty cool. 

Who would have thunk?

Jim

Jim Flury
Technical Services Manager
The Library Network
41365 Vincenti Court 
Novi, MI 48375
248-536-3100 x133 
Fax 248-536-3098 
jflury at tln.lib.mi.us