Back in the days when he was an ambitious young printer eager to get ahead, Ben Franklin masterminded and launched what’s reputed to be America’s first lending library in his hometown of Philadelphia. Libraries have come a long way since then. Today, they are moving beyond their traditional bricks-and-mortar book lending mission and embracing new digital tools to help readers and authors connect.
SELF-e is a creative collaboration between the Library Journal and BiblioBoard aimed at bringing indies, libraries, and readers together. It enables libraries to give valuable exposure to authors by distributing self-published ebooks to readers. If selected through Library Journal’s SELF-e curation process, an author’s ebooks become available via a unique discovery platform used by participating public libraries across the United States. This enables library patrons to read ebooks included in the system on any device.
This free service is open to all self-published authors through a simple application process — and the distribution platform encompasses all currently available self-publishing service(s) . To find out more about how this innovative digital distribution tool works and how to get into the distribution network, check out the article, “Is Your Self-Published Ebook in the Library?” by Porter Anderson.
Along with helping self-published authors get their ebooks into the hands of readers, local libraries from coast to coast are also jumping on the digital bandwagon by organizing Digital Book Clubs, which offer exciting marketing opportunities for both traditionally published and independently published authors.
As OverDrive, a service which distributes library ebooks, notes, “Public libraries across the globe have built engaging campaigns to promote these successful Digital Book Clubs, including dedicated websites, organized group discussions and even special author appearances, which are helping publishers and authors expand discovery and reach and engage more readers.”
As the publishing industry continues to evolve, it’s good to know that libraries are keeping pace while still honoring their long-standing mission of connecting readers and books. Exploring some of these new options seems like a good idea. If you’ve found any of them helpful, I’d love to hear about it. Write on!