E-books, reading and libraries

The international community celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on April 23. Unesco has suggested that during the events organised to mark this day, special attention is given to the evolution of book production and future challenges.

As an association which has the promotion of reading and literacy as one of its main objectives, the Malta Library and Information Association (MaLIA) would like to highlight the significance of this day and how public libraries have a central role to play in reaching out to all sections of society and encourage a lifelong love of reading among the community.

A report published 10 years ago by the Pennsylvania Library Association on The Role of Public Libraries in Children’s Literacy Development had, among its findings, indicated that public libraries offered “priceless opportunities for children to develop literacy skills”. The report also confirms that the amount of time children spend with books is crucial to reading achievement, and ultimately, to school achievement in general. It is therefore imperative that public libraries have dedicated activities aimed at promoting literacy among children and that these programmes, activities, services and collections are professionally designed and formatted to promote and develop the literacy acquisition of children of all ages. Such initiatives should also include support and training for parents and caregivers and provide them with the tools to build their child’s literacy and love of reading.

Services aimed at children should be available in any public library but it is important to stress that the role of public libraries goes beyond providing services and collections for children. It is unfortunate that certain factions of our society have not yet fully understood the emerging role of public libraries in today’s society and have a very restricted vision of what public libraries can achieve if properly funded and sustained.

MaLIA is of the opinion that, apart from activities for children, more initiatives should be undertaken to promote the role of public libraries among our youths as well as the adult population. Public libraries abroad, often take a leading role in organising activities related to the promotion of literacy among children, youths and adults. A typical example is the initiative of the Toronto Public Library which is organising a month-long celebration this month, focusing on the transformative power of reading with free special events all over town.

Going back to the suggestion of Unesco to focus attention on the evolution of book production, there is no doubt that this suggestion is triggered by the emergence of e-books as an alternative to the traditional book in print format. In 2001, in an article entitled The Battle To Define The Future Of The Book In The Digital World, Clifford Lynch had written “I suspect that more words are being published about the e-book phenomenon in print than have actually been placed into e-books so far”.

Fast forward 10 years and according to the Association of American Publishers, e-book sales almost doubled over 2010 and during the first months of 2011, e-book sales have taken over, outselling both hardcover and paperbacks, totalling more than $90.3 million in February of this year.

This is a trend that internationally, public libraries could not really ignore and an increasing number are now offering an e-books lending service.

Phil Bradley, vice-president of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip), says that about a quarter of councils in the UK now offer a service and a recent report from the American Library Association revealed research showing that 72 per cent of public libraries now offer e-books to their users.

Amazon.com has just announced that it would allow Kindle users to borrow e-books from more than 11,000 American libraries. Mr Bradley also referred to the advantages of e-book lending over traditional book lending: “It’s a 24/7 service; you don’t have to physically look after the books; you’re able to get books to people who can’t get to the library, such as shift workers and those who live in rural areas; the readers can choose the size of the font, which helps the visually impaired; it’s flexible and it helps to outreach library service”.

E-books do have some disadvantages but no one can really deny that they are a reality and here to stay and that they do offer a new avenue for public libraries. It is a new and innovative service that can be added as an attraction to entice new users to public libraries and can be integrated into literacy programmes, especially those dedicated to youths and adults.

While here in Malta e-books in public libraries are something that at the moment may sound rather futuristic, we should keep track of emerging trends and services in public libraries abroad. It is hoped that with the establishing of the Malta Libraries Act, a newly appointed Libraries Council can provide a vision for our public libraries and the right leadership so that public libraries can indeed play a central role in the promotion of reading and literacy. Achieving the appropriate synergies with all the stakeholders is as critical as having adequate resources and properly trained staff.

The author is deputy chairman of the Malta Library and Information Association.