CIPA/Douglas County Libraries Partnership

Goal of the Project

The primary goal of the Library e-Book Agreement between CIPA and the Douglas County Libraries (DCL) is to facilitate the library’s identification and acquisition of e-book versions of quality independently published books by CIPA members.

Objectives

1) Identify and address legal and procedural issues involved in acquiring and loaning e-books from independent publishers.

2) Identify and facilitate the acquisition of 100 independently published e-book titles by the library loan system by mid-summer 2011.

3) Create a reporting system that will enable the library and CIPA to monitor the program and provide for the acquisition of additional e-book titles.

Progress

The CIPA/Douglas County Libraries Agreement was announced in late March 2011. A team of representatives from Douglas County Libraries and CIPA has been diligently working out the details for identifying and acquiring electronic versions of independently published e-books.

The library will provide mechanisms that will enable approved participants to upload data, cover images, and the e-book files onto an Adobe Content Server. This Server will also host the Digital Rights Management (DRM) software that will provide security for the e-books. The DRM software will enable library patrons to check out an e-book for a period of three weeks, after which the digital copy of the e-book will disappear off the patron’s e-reader.

CIPA will serve as the conduit between CIPA authors and publishers and Douglas County Libraries. To fulfill the goal of acquiring quality books, CIPA has identified award-winning books that were recognized through the past 13 CIPA EVVY competitions. Announcements about this exciting e-book opportunity have been made through weekly e-mail blasts and direct e-mail to CIPA EVVY winners, as well as current and former CIPA members.

Tests of the submission process were conducted in mid-April and the first group of 23 titles have been submitted to the library for review and approval for purchase. The purchasing process is scheduled to be implemented in late May, followed with e-books being made available for loan in June.

CIPA will continue to accept submissions of additional CIPA EVVY award-winning titles via the submission process described below for the next several months.

Participation Eligibility, Rules and Procedures

Eligibility

1. The submitter must be a CIPA EVVY winner.
2. The e-book must be available in a validated IDPF ePub file format. The library district's preferred validation tool is Google's ePubCheck.
3. The submitter must be the e-book electronic rights holder.

Rules

1. Preference will be given to CIPA EVVY winners who are current members.
2. Verification of submitter as the electronic rights holder is required.
3. CIPA will verify titles and submit them to library for review and approval.
4. Library has final determination on titles being accepted into the program.
5. CIPA will invoice the library for approved purchases.
6. CIPA will assess a processing fee per purchased title:

CIPA EVVY award-winning authors (current members) = 0%
CIPA EVVY award-winning publishers (current members) = 15%
CIPA EVVY award-winning authors (non-members) = 20%

 7. CIPA will remit purchase price less processing fee upon receipt of payment from Library.

Procedures

1. Submit completed CIPA Opt-in Form.
2. Upon notification of approval and acceptance, complete Library’s online form.
3. Receive confirmation of CIPA invoice to library.
4. Receive payment from CIPA, less any processing fee. 

CIPA Signs eBook Pilot Project Agreement with Douglas County Libraries

(Denver, CO) May 19, 2011 - The Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) and the Douglas County Libraries have signed an historic agreement to help put high quality independently published books into the library district’s eBook loan program. This new partnership underscores the changing nature of book publishing and distribution with the ever-increasing popularity of eBooks. 

Nancy Libbey Mills, CIPA President and James LaRue, Director of Douglas County Libraries

According to Nancy Libbey Mills, CIPA’s President, this pilot project fits perfectly into CIPA’s mission to “encourage cooperative efforts and the free exchange of information, experience and expertise to help our members achieve and prosper while also assisting the writing and marketing of their books through cooperative ventures, education and networking.”
 
In her words “Douglas County Libraries and Colorado Independent Publishers Association made history today inking a contract allowing CIPA to facilitate the sale of its members’ eBooks to the Douglas County Libraries for check out by its patrons. The DCL and CIPA agree that eBooks will never replace printed books, and we also agree that eBooks will continue to become a larger part of our ever-increasing joint effort to make books available to as many readers as possible, at the same time conserving energy and our natural resources. This partnership will not only allow libraries to dramatically expand their catalog of books, without taking up valuable shelf space, but it allows CIPA members the opportunity to have an expanded audience for their books.”
 
James LaRue, Director of the Douglas County Libraries, commented, “Connecting writers and readers is what we do best, through our two million visitors a year to our facilities and another two million through our catalog. This project will demonstrate not only that libraries are firm supporters of the independent publishers through our willingness to buy and promote their works, but also that libraries and publishers can help each other grow the still-developing eBook market."
   
For more information, please contact
James LaRue, Director, Douglas County Libraries
100 S Wilcox St, Castle Rock, CO 80104
Voice: 303-688-7656
 
Dr. C. Daniel Miller, CIPA
ebooks@cipacatalog.com
Voice: 303.564.4181
Contact: http://www.cipacatalog.com/pages/Contact.html
 
Douglas County Libraries: www.DouglasCountyLibraries.org
Colorado Independent Publishers Association: http://www.cipacatalog.com

Library eBook Partnerships Announced on March 15, 2011

We are pleased to announce a partnership between the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) and two Colorado libraries: the Red Rocks Community College Library and the Douglas County Libraries.

Many members of CIPA have entered the world of digital publishing. By June of 2011, the Red Rocks Community College and the Douglas County Libraries will not only offer eBooks from CIPA’s authors for checkout through their library catalogs, but will also allow click-through purchases of these titles.

Karen Reddick, Executive Director of CIPA, said "For twenty years, CIPA has been one of the largest and most active independent publishing groups in the nation. This pilot program will help us introduce a new generation of writers to a new generation of readers. Some of those readers will become writers themselves; some will become the next generation of independent publishers."

This partnership underscores the changing nature of publishing and distribution. Recently, larger commercial publishers have cut libraries out of the eBook market altogether or have imposed onerous new restrictions on use.

"Libraries are natural partners with independent publishers," said Joseph Sanchez, Director of Library and learning Services for the Red Rocks Community College.  "We understand and value both copyrights and the great value of alternative viewpoints. We can easily integrate eBooks into our collections, ensuring one use at a time, but also exposing authors to precisely the people who are looking for them."

"Connecting writers and readers is what we do best, through our two million visitors a year to our facilities and another two million through our catalog," said Jamie LaRue, director of the Douglas County Libraries. "This project will demonstrate not only that libraries are firm supporters of the independent publishers through our willingness to buy and promote their works, but also that libraries and publishers can help each other grow the still-developing eBook market."

Douglas County Libraries: www.DouglasCountyLibraries.org
Colorado Independent Publishers Association: www.CipaCatalog.com/

Other Media Releases Related to the eBook Partnerships

Sarah Silbert, "Two Colorado Libraries To Sell and Lend eBooks," Laptop (accessed 3/21/11).
Judith Rosen, "Two Colorado Libraries Partner with CIPA to Carry e-books, Publishers Weekly (accessed 3/21/11).
Beverly Goldberg, "Two Colorado Libraries Break New E-Book Ground," American Libraries (accessed 3/17/11).
Michael Kelley, "Colorado Publishers and Libraries Collaborate on Ebook Lending Model," Library Journal.com (accessed 3/17/11).