Posted on September 7, 2011 by Dan Blank

Today we get an inside look into the library world, and some smart views on the current state of ebooks and big publishers. I had the pleasure of speaking with Heather McCormack, Book Review Editor for Library Journal. My favorite quote from the conversation:

“Treat each book like a person, that has an identity and personality. Nurture it and make it as great as it can be.”

We cover the following topics:

• That we are in the “wild west” of digital books – that many in publishing are unsure of what to do, and sheepish about experimenting. “It would be nice to see some courage.”
• That the craft of creating a book is being lost in ebooks – few seem concerned about the nuances of creating a wonderful reading experience.
• Why Amazon is moving quickly in the ebook/publishing space as publishers move slowly
• Readers are desperately waiting for MORE ebooks, but business models are evolving slowly.
• Key issues around ebooks and equal access to information for library communities.
• How publishers are still working out their digital strategies – there is not a lot of flexibility in terms of how libraries can obtain ebooks in a timely manner and within their current budgets.
• That “no one is in publishing for the money” – rather, they are invested in ideas.
• How errors and typos are still prevalent in ebooks from both large and small publishers.
• With Borders closing, the library is becoming one of the few places where people can browse for books.
• “It’s all too easy to take libraries for granted.”
• And many other topics!

You can watch the full interview by clicking the play button below:

[flowplayer src='https://s3.amazonaws.com/WeGrowMediaInterviews/HeatherMcCormack.mov' width=640 height=375]

You can find Heather in the following places:

• Library Journal’s BookSmack
• Twitter: @HuisceBeatha
• Blog: heathermccormack.wordpress.com

Thanks so much to Heather for taking the time to chat!
-Dan

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