Within the past decade, traditional hardbound paper books, which have been a staple in society for centuries have slowly given way for ebooks, or electronic books. There are many reasons why ebooks have experienced such a boom in popularity. For one, they are much more convenient. One ereader can hold up to thousands of books, making titles more accessible to readers across the world. That is why many major publishing companies have hopped on the ebook bandwagon.
Simon and Schuster is a publishing company that has been a major force in the business for many years. The company specializes in general interest publishing. Last year, the company joined many other publishing companies and decided to launch a test foray into ebook library lending. The original pilot was launched with the New York Public Library system and lasted one year.
Branching Out After Initial Success
It was announced on June 26, 2014 that Simon and Schuster would be making its entire library of 10,000 titles available for library lending. The original pilot lasted a full year and was only conducted in New York. The pilot was a great success, and gave the company the incentive to make its titles more widely available for library lending. The program was expanded into 15 more library systems earlier this year. On Thursday, it was announced that the titles would be made available nationally.
The press release was made public on the day of the announcement. Industry experts and book lovers alike have rejoiced over the news. It is now becoming more evident than ever that ebooks are conquering the book industry and are now a leading choice among readers. With the ebook library-lending program, these books can get into the hands (or devices) of millions of readers across the country.
For those unfamiliar with the ebook library lending system, it essentially works the same as the traditional lending system. The library must purchase a copy of the book, which is available for a year for lending to its patrons. Once that year is up, the library will have to purchase the book once again. In addition, only one can be checked out at a time. Through Simon and Schuster’s program, there is also a “buy now” option on the libraries website.
Thousands of Titles Now Available for Library Patrons to Enjoy
A variety of titles are available through the ebook library lending program. Readers will be pleased to see works by well-known authors such as Stephen King and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The ebook titles are made available through leading ebook distributor, OverDrive, which is a leader in its industry as well. Readers can support their library by purchasing ebooks through the library’s website.
Now, a multitude of Simon & Schuster’s classic and current titles will be accessible to readers nationwide. This is a great step forward for Simon and Schuster. What started as a limited-run pilot has now branched out into nationwide success. Look for Simon and Schuster titles in your local library in weeks to come.