DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
POPULAR WITH LIBRARY PATRONS

The Kindle 2 is now shipping, Sony has an updated version of its Reader, Google has launched an application for e-reading, and Overdrive announced last week that page views on its Web site by library patrons increased 76% from 2007 to 2008. People are ready to incorporate technology into their reading habits. For libraries that don't subscribe to a digital download service like Overdrive or NetLibrary: it's time to look into it.

There are a number of factors that have led to the recent popularity of digital downloads. Long commutes allow workers plenty of time to listen to audiobooks, some of which can be burned to a CD or loaded to an iPod; an aging population finds it more convenient to "visit" the library from the comfort of their own home; and PDAs and smart phones that are large enough for comfortable reading are more popular than ever.

OverDrive and OCLC's NetLibrary are the most popular digital download services for libraries. Each service offers a variety of options for libraries. NetLibrary's collection includes more than 180,000 eBooks and audiobooks, and OverDrive offers more than 150,000 eBooks, audiobooks, and music and film titles.

The Phoenix Public Library has used OverDrive since 2004. In 2006 it co-founded the Greater Phoenix Digital Library, a consortium of ten central Arizona library systems that uses OverDrive to purchase downloadable media collectively.

"I would recommend OverDrive without reservation. It's a real customer favorite," said Tom Gemberling, the Internet resources librarian at the Phoenix Public Library and manager of the Greater Phoenix Digital Library.

"In January of 2008 we had about 16,000 OverDrive downloads. In January of 2009, we had 23,600 downloads," he said. "It's a remarkably popular service."

Gemberling was initially surprised at how many people in their sixties and seventies use the service.

"It's a way for them to get books without leaving home," he said. "They can sit at their computers and access the library."

While Gemberling says the service is easy to use and it only takes a minute to sign up, OverDrive provides tutorials to help new users get the most from the service. The GPDL has also created its own tutorials.

Staff members of the Phoenix Public Library also download from the service.

"One of our staff members is a particularly devoted PDA user. He downloads eBooks and puts them on his PDA," Gemberling said. "He is a voracious reader of eBooks that way."

More than 8,500 libraries use OverDrive as their digital distributor. OverDrive's collection includes books by the bestselling authors Stephenie Meyer, James Patterson, and Lisa Kleypas. It also enables libraries to upload locally created content for sharing with OverDrive's network.

NetLibrary's services include a collection designed for downloading to the Sony Reader. Libraries can also choose to offer only audiobooks or only eBooks.

Visit the companies' Web sites to learn more.

by Whitney Hallberg, Managing Editor

March is Women's History Month Celebrate with the inspiring story of the childhood of Mahalia Jackson, the "Queen of Gospel." Don't miss the other heroines and heroes in the Young Patriots Series of historical fiction for children ages 8-12. fkichler@patriapress.com www.patriapress.com

AUTHOR PAGES

The Author Pages feature nearly 100 interviews with authors whose work has been reviewed in ForeWord magazine. Ann Wroe, co-author of The Economist Book of Obituaries (Bloomberg Press, 978-1-57660-326-0) writes:

No one encouraged me to write. I just wanted to do it from the beginning. But I remember very vividly the moment I decided to make it the centre of my life. I was sitting in class when I was 11, writing an essay about the spring, and I realized that my description of pink prunus blossom had brought the flowers into my head as vividly as if I was touching them. I realized then how powerful words were, and I've wanted to play with them---and weigh them, and detonate them---ever since.

Visit ForeWord’s Author Pages to read more about the authors reviewed in the pages of ForeWord.

FOREWORD BOOK CLUB

Author Gina Roitman introduces her story "Remember My Words" from her short story collection, Tell Me a Story, Tell Me the Truth (Second Story Press, 978-1-897187-53-1).

Tell Me a Story, Tell Me the Truth, is a collection of nine linked short stories, most of which are driven by the conflicted relationship between the central character, Leah Smilovitz, and her mother, who is a Holocaust survivor. In "Remember My Words," nineteen-year-old Leah has been carefully planning her escape from Montreal, and her mother, for over a year. Yet every coming-of-age story is as much about leaving something behind as moving forward into the future. What we learn as we work at pulling away from childhood (learn but never acknowledge until much later) is that we are the sum total of our experiences. In short, nothing gets left behind. After the elation of escape, Leah experiences the crush of reality. In London, meant to be only a brief transit point, she encounters an obstacle course of events gone wrong. With no experience to guide her, how is she to cope? For Leah, it is her mother's voice that quickly becomes the Greek chorus piloting her through unknown waters.

The short story "Mice" is available for the whole week at the ForeWord Book Club.

This week at Publishing Insider, C.M. Mayo offers a five-minute cure for writers block.

At Publishing Matters, Eugene Schwartz discusses Sara Nelson, Daisy Maryles and the challenge for book review publishing.

At Shelf Space, Elizabeth Burns says ARCs are just like the hardcover, only free.

At Editor’s Notes, Editor-in-Chief Heather Shaw talks about handmade books.

Visit www.forewordmagazine.com for publishing news, book reviews, and the ForeWord Book Club.

FAST FOREWORD

Pat Schroeder, who has spent twelve years as president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers will leave the position in April. Taking over is former Rep. Tom Allen, a democrat from Maine.

According to the Associated Press, Allen chose the position with the AAP over a job in Obama's administration because he wants to split his time between Washington, DC, and Maine. The article states that Allen has little experience "with core publishing issues such as copyright and free speech legislation," but he has a history of supporting the Internet and education.

At PC World's Web site, Contributing Editor James A. Martin compares the cost of owning an Amazon Kindle to that of purchasing print books from Amazon. His results? The Kindle won't save most people money, but it's convenient for travelers.

MSNBC reports that the Allensville, Pa., branch of the Mifflin County Library System was closed for two weeks because the smell of a skunk had permeated the building.

"No one is sure whether the skunk actually entered the building or sprayed outside near a ventilation unit," according to a local TV station.

The library reopened last week.

Travel writer Rick Steves has been awarded the Citizen Diplomat Award by the National Council for International Visitors. According to the NCIV, the award "recognizes an individual who, motivated by a deep understanding of world issues and a commitment to the exchange of persons and ideas, has achieved a recognized standard of excellence in furthering the cause of citizen diplomacy."

Steves is the author of the top-selling guidebook brand in the country. Avalon Travel publishes the author, who has more than thirty bestsellers to his name.

"The NCIV Board of Directors could not have identified a more worthy recipient of this award," NCIV President Sherry Mueller said. "Throughout his career, Rick Steves has spoken out on the need for Americans to fit better into our world by broadening their perspectives through travel."

From staff reports. Share your news and information with Whitney Hallberg, Managing Editor.

FOREWORD FOOTNOTES

Art. ART OF ISLAM: LANGUAGE AND MEANING, COMMEMORATIVE EDITION by Titus Burckhardt (World Wisdom, 8 x 10, color and b/w photographs, 248 pages, softcover, $32.95, 978-1933316-65-9): art historian and author of Sacred Art in East and West presents Islamic art as the "crystallization of the spirit of the Islamic revelation"; includes Arabic calligraphy, the Great Umayyad Mosque at Damascus, and the "art of the carpet."

Biography & Autobiography. A SPECTACLE OF SUFFERING: CLARA MORRIS ON THE AMERICAN STAGE by Barbara Wallace Grossman (Southern Illinois University Press, b/w illustrations, 320 pages, softcover, $37.50, 978-0-8093-2882-8): associate professor and chair of the Department of Drama and Dance at Tufts University and author of Funny Woman: The Life and Times of Fanny Brice presents the life of "America's greatest actress" (1847-1925) and the actress's importance as a feminist; topics include her temporary blindness, the "'emotional' school of American acting," and Morris as a feminine Lady Macbeth instead of one that "splashes about in blood."

Biography & Autobiography. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE SHAH by Gholam Reza Afkhami (University of California Press, 18 b/w photographs, 740 pages, hardcover, $34.95, 978-0-520-25328-5): senior scholar at the Foundation for Iranian Studies and author of The Iranian Revolution presents the life of the controversial Shah of Iran (1919-1980) and the revolution that led to the rule of Ayatollahs; chapters include "Nationalizing Oil," "Women and Rights," and "Politics and Terror."

Health & Fitness. AN INSIDER'S GUIDE TO BETTER NURSING HOME CARE: 75 TIPS YOU SHOULD KNOW by Donna M. Reed (Prometheus, 222 pages, softcover, $17.95, 978-1-59102-671-6): attorney and licensed practical nurse presents "vital" facts about the rights of nursing home residents; discussions include inspections, responsibilities of employees, and avoiding substandard care.

History. IT'S THE PICTURES THAT GOT SMALL: HOLLYWOOD FILM STARS ON 1950S TELEVISION by Christine Becker (Wesleyan University Press, 30 b/w photographs, pages, 304 pages, softcover, $24.95, 978-0-8195-6894-6, hardcover, $70.00, 978-0-8195-6893-9): assistant professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame and contributor to Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media discusses the crossover of Hollywood film stars to television production and programming; personalities included are Loretta Young on NBC/Photofest, Groucho Marx and the "secret word 'duck,'" and Faye Emerson's debut in 1948 on CBS's Tonight on Broadway.

Language Arts & Disciplines. ANONYMITY: A SECRET HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE by John Mullan (Princeton University Press, 384 pages, hardcover, $22.95, 978-0-691-13941-8): professor of English at University College London, columnist for the Guardian, and author of How Novels Work discusses authors first published without using their real names; chapters include "Men Being Women," "Modesty," and "Women Being Men" noting Charlotte Brontë's aversion to "personal publicity" that made her use the pseudonym Currer Bell.

Photography. OUR ORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY EARTH AND ITS EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY PEOPLE by Simhananda (Orange Palm Publications, 11 x 13, color and b/w photographs, 370 pages, hardcover, $134.95, 978-0-9809694-1-2): author and photographer presents "a fresh perspective" on the world and its people; included are photographs of Stonehenge, Eiffel Tower, Chartres Cathedral, Egyptian statues in the Musée du Louvres, and the "mystery lady with yellow umbrella."

Sports. REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT by Harvey Frommer (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 11 x 9, color and b/w photographs, 235 pages, hardcover, $45.00, 978-1-58479-716-6): sports journalist, professor of liberal studies at Dartmouth College, and author of New York City Baseball presents the stadium's 85-year history; included are photographs of Roger Maris after hitting record-breaking home run number 61, a farewell picture of Casey Stengel after 12 years as Yankee coach, and the stadium under construction.

Sports. SPORT FISHING IN PALM BEACH COUNTY ("Images of America" series) by Janet DeVries in conjunction with the Boynton Beach City Library (Arcadia Publishing, 200+ b/w photographs, 128 pages, softcover, $19.99, 978-0-7385-5386-3): local historian and author of Delay Beach in Vintage Postcards presents a photographic history of the 47 miles of "beautiful Atlantic coastline" along with sports fishing information; people in pictures include baseball player Ted Williams with golfer Sammy Snead, "God Bless America" Kate Smith aboard the Sally Shall, and actor Cornell Wilde with his sailfish catch.

Religion. MARRIAGE 101: BUILDING A LIFE TOGETHER BY FAITH by Jewell R. Powell (Revell, 250 pages, softcover, $13.99, 978-0-8007-3332-2): VCMI Ministerial Training School graduate and master's of divinity student at Regent University discusses eight Biblical truths; included are affirmations, Biblical examples, and scripture meditations.

by Alex Moore, Book Review Editor

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