Well this is a step in the right direction!
It seems that Sony and library eBook provider Overdrive have come to an accord that will certainly benefit consumers. While users won’t be able to download and access a library’s eHoldings with the device, users will be directed to their libraries as a source of material AND the device is sure to play nice with Overdrive as well.
I have to admit that I despaired of ever seeing a big company acknowledge Libraries as a legitimate market. This deal benefits everyone. Sony gets good PR and librarian’s on their side (ironic given their past relations with the profession). Libraries get a viable means to participate in an eBook Reader market currently dominated by Amazon’s (locked down, Library unfriendly) Kindle. Overdrive gets the potential expansion of their user-base and likely an increase in title sales as libraries increase their purchases of Overdrive eBooks to meet increased demand for services.
Users will hopefully get more choice and therefore look to gain the most. Choice forces all participants in the market work harder to get consumer dollars. The best possible outcome for this deal will be for this sort of support for library customers to become standard. Ultimately, I’d love for library patrons to be able to access their library’s collections wirelessly with the 3G capabilities of some of these devices. Hopefully, if Sony sees benefit from this new deal, that will come in time.
