Open eBook Forum Revamps

By Michael Rogers -- Library Journal, 6/1/2005

The Open eBook Forum has changed its name to the International Digital Publishing Forum, in what Steve Potash, the group's president, told LJ is a response to "the significant expansion in interest in digital books and digital content from parts of the publishing space that didn't necessarily relate to the word ebook." Potash said that the group views digital audio and other multimedia as a natural extension of digital publishing.

"As the International Digital Publishing Forumwe are now embracing digital content in a variety of formats, which could be online databases, digital materials that could be serials subscription or periodicals based, and we've been engaging with a broader community, such as the library community, with digital textbooks." The face of ebooks has changed, and Potash says that while the previous name served the group well as the materials started to enter into consumer and trade markets, ebook is "not as well suited for all these other digital publishing spaces to which we're now relating."

Roughly 20 percent of the group's membership consists of non-U.S. operations, including new membership from China, Mexico, Korea, and other parts of the globe. "We wanted to globalize our efforts more since digital content can very easily facilitate a lot of global channels, whether it's Chinese textbooks or Japanese manga as well as participation throughout the European community. International was something we were always active in, and we're reflecting that in our name."