Macmillan Expands Public Library eBook Lending Pilot Program With Complete Collection of Frontlist Titles

From Macmillan:

Macmillan Publishers will be adding its full collection of frontlist eBooks to their public library e-lending pilot.
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It is the first time the company has made its catalog of eBooks published in the last twelve months available for lending in libraries.
The pilot program has been in place since March 2013 and currently includes all Macmillan eBooks published twelve or more months ago. With the addition of frontlist,
Macmillan will have approximately 15,000 books available in their public library lending program and will continue to add new books weekly. Their frontlist eBook titles will be made available on the same day they go on sale in the retail market.

The Lending Model

Macmillan’s frontlist titles will be offered to libraries under the 2 year/52 lend model currently in place for backlist. Macmillan titles are available through multiple distributors The frontlist titles will be available to order in early August.

Comments on Today’s Macmillan News From ALA President Courtney Young

“The Macmillan expansion of its library ebook program represents another important development for improving the ability of libraries to serve America’s communities. One of the most fundamental relationships and roles of libraries is to connect authors and readers. Library lending encourages experimentation, enabling people to sample new authors, topics, and genres, and stimulates the market for books. Thus libraries are a critical de facto discovery, promotion and awareness service for authors and publishers.”
“ALA’s first meeting with Macmillan CEO John Sargent and his leadership team took place at the beginning of 2012. At that meeting, it was clear that our ideas about library ebook lending were highly divergent. We have both learned a lot since that time, and the market has evolved considerably. We are pleased that Macmillan has transitioned from no library ebook lending to limited pilots and now to offering its full ebook catalog to libraries.”
“Today represents an important step forward in ensuring that the public has access to the full range of digital content. However, we must remember that the digital content marketplace is in the midst of a revolution, and thus many more issues remain to be addressed. ALA looks forward to continuing discussions with Macmillan, and more broadly with authors, authors’ representatives, publishers, distributors, and retailers to create new opportunities to support a healthy reading ecosystem for the digital age.”

See Also: Expansion: Macmillan Making Complete Ebook Backlist Available for Library Lending (October 17, 2014)
See Also: Macmillan Announces Details of Library Lending Pilot (January 24, 2013)
See Also: Macmillan CEO John Sargent Says eBook Lending Program For Libraries Coming in Early 2013 (December 19, 2012)

Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Libraries, Management and Leadership, News, Public Libraries