I am the director of the public computing center we have set up within one of our local libraries. I teach a workshop weekly on borrowing eBooks and using eReaders (among a rather large breadth of digital literacy offerings). This is nothing the library itself could support- my project is grant funded. You have to remember right now things are rather awful for libraries. There is little money for anything, and that includes innovations in technology and programming. I am not saying this is an excuse, but there is a broad picture to consider. There is a huge strain on staffing as well- part of why my project exists is to move technology assistance-related strain from the circ/info desk by providing a dedicated resource. Public libraries are seeing a huge increase in usage, especially technology related, but that does not mean they are getting the budget increases to do everything we would want.

Much of the problem in regards to eBooks does come from publishers- from some insisting on a circulation limit for eBooks to just general availability. We do what we can with the budget we have. I wish I could give you more insight, but I am only peripherally involved in the purchasing end of things. I will say our queues are NOTHING like described in the article and I am a bit leery of taking most of that article to heart, but very open to looking and seeing what other information is available.

I worked as a bookseller/bookstore manager for 7 years. I am a (soon to be) published author with DAW. I am a librarian. I have seen all sorts of angles for this situation, and every stakeholder is effected on a different level. Its tricky. Painfully so.

As laylalawlor says, we have an established idea of the library, but there is no reason it has to stay that way. There IS a move towards change in libraries, it is just slowed by habit, perception, and a very real lack of financial backing. We need to get support for libraries if we want anything to change.