BookExpo America 2009: Books and Digital Delivery Dominate Show
Some 2100 librarians attend, survey the present and future of publishing
Francine Fialkoff -- Library Journal, 6/2/2009
- Top titles
- Downloadable ARCs
- In the future, physical books still matter
This year’s BookExpo America drew fewer librarians—about 2100—than the blockbuster show in New York in 2007, but it was hard to tell from the crowds who thronged the Librarians’ Lounge at the show and LJ’s Day of Dialog at McGraw-Hill and the concurrent SLJ Day of Dialog at Brooklyn Public Library. Attendees like high school librarian Kathleen Porter (Foxborough, MA) told LJ the free buses arranged by BookExpo America from nearby states helped defray costs, but BEA drew librarians from elsewhere in the country, too.
Eight of those librarians, including Kansas City Public Library’s Kaite Stover and Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Robin Nesbitt, participated in the first-ever Librarians’ Shout and Share, where they touted several dozen titles that could break out, appeal to specific audiences, and/or work well for book clubs. The panel was organized by the Association of American Publishers’ Tina Jordan and Brooklyn Public Library’s Barbara Genco. The book chosen by most: Stitches by David Small, a memoir in graphic novel format.
Digital delivery: books
The panel also highlighted the impact of digital delivery on publishing and libraries, as Genco held up thre
e downloadable ARCs (advance reading copies) available via title cards from HarperCollins (including The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, chosen by several of the Shout and Share gang), exclaiming “I love these!”
Powered by Symtio (which exhibited at the show), the cards give a brief book description, author bio, available formats and devices (Sony Reader, iPhone, Windows or Mac computers, and Smartphones but not the Kindle) plus instructions for downloading by entering a 16-digit PIN at a web site listed on the card. Part of an experiment with downloadable ARCs, said HC’s Virginia Stanley, the site currently lists 24 titles (including 14 adult books for fall, nine children’s books, and one audiobook just out). Even without the card, librarians can request the titles by visiting the site.
Big books
Despite a smaller show floor and the absence of some large houses, librarians still found a slew of publishers and titles, as the Librarian’s Shout and Share attested. And publishers were keen on the library market as well. In fact, some tried to park themselves at the Librarians’ Lounge to pitch titles. Newmarket’s Harry Burton and HarperOne’s Claudia Boutote, among others, both reported good librarian (and bookseller) traffic.
Attendees did remark, however, on the fewer ARCs. As Neil Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Library, VA, told LJ, in order to get most of the galleys, he had to stand in line and have the author sign the book, which allowed “little room for serendipitous discovery of a new author.” Nevertheless, some budget-stressed librarians said they planned to put the ARCs directly into their collections. (See LJ editor Wilda Williams's take on BEA, "First Impressions.")
Digital delivery: all media
While books dominated the show floor, there was plenty of talk about digital delivery. Almost simultaneously with the opening of the BEA exhibits on May 29, several announcements heralded deals for expanded options.
Baker & Taylor solidified its digital strategy (it had earlier made alliances with ebrary and LibreDigital) by announcing an agreement for digital distribution with OverDrive for downloadable ebooks, audiobooks, music, and video. B&T also announced an arrangement with R.R. Donnelly for the printer to establish a POD center in B&T’s Momence, IL, warehouse.
Ingram pulled together all its units, including digital and POD, into the Ingram Content Group under CEO Skip Prichard. And both Ingram and OverDrive May 27 said they had expanded iPhone/iPod compatibility for audiobooks.
Among the Audio Publishers Association's conference sessions were Navigating the Library Market in Changing Times and The Future Is Now!, in which librarians and publishers discussed issues including the digital audio market, best practices for marketing in an ailing economy, and the growing practice among publishers and retailers of bundling different formats together at reduced cost (for more on this trend, see Books Born Digital, in the May 15, 2009 LJ).
On to the future
On the show floor itself and at panels, the digital present and future were apparent from newcomers like Symt
io to the Espresso Book Machine (right)—at the Ingram booth—which can print a paperback in four minutes.
A panel featuring Wired editor in chief Chris Anderson (whose new book is Free) on how the publishing industry could avoid the fate of the music industry, seemed upbeat, with Anderson stating that “we’re not waiting for the record label to tell us what to do.” He also said that we’re in a “renaissance of DIY,” where authors have to promote themselves but where the tools to do so are cheaper than ever.
Anderson was surprisingly positive about the paper book itself, saying that unlike the music CD, “There’s nothing wrong with the physical book...long battery life, high resolution pages, easy to read, you can give it away...it’s a superior format.”
(Photos by Mike Rogers. For an full album of LJ exclusive BEA pix of authors, celebs, and show floor action, click here.>>>
(For additional coverage of BookExpo America 2009, visit the BookExpo America 2009 page of our sister publication, Publishers Weekly)
