A fairly comprehensive, accessible overview of many of the issues, problems and challenges surrounding the ebook realm as it relates to libraries.

One problem with the work itself - although it presents an accurate snapshot of the current ebook landscape, it's bound (no pun intended) to be outdated relatively soon. Still, interesting reading. A straightforward overview if you're in need of one. ( )

Reviewing for Information Today ( )

Last year when the Cushing Academy announced that it had thrown away or given away 20,000 books from its high school library, criticism arose immediately. Even AASL issued a condemning statement. However, what they were doing was replacing 20,000 volumes with 140,000 ebooks accessible at any time on any student device. So what? Polanka has assembled a number of excellent essays covering the many opportunities, problems, challenges, and early experimentation with digital books. And, so we all confront the new major issue, what does our learning commons own vs. what do we provide access to? What formats on what devices will our clients gravitate to if give a choice. After the wildly popular Library Jorunal Summit dealing with ebooks in Oct., 2010, it is obvious that it is now time for all teacher librarians to start reconsidering everything they know about collection development. We can no longer be content with supplying, housing, circulating, and assessing fines the way we have always done it. No one is crying over the loss of our old magazine rooms. And, the printed reference book is already breathing a death rattle… It would be wise to read this book from cover to cover and start talking and brainstorming.

Reviewing for Information Today ( )