Government approves changes to PLR, ELR schemes
The federal government has made a number of changes to the Public Lending Rights (PLR) and the Educational Lending Rights (ELR) schemes which could influence the level of payments received...
Overdrive releases territory-specific ‘Most Downloaded Books from the Library’ lists
Global ebook distributor OverDrive has announced that it has expanded its monthly 'Most Downloaded Books from the Library' lists to include territory-specific charts, including one for Australian libraries which use...
Melbourne Library Service launches new ebook collection
Melbourne Library Service has joined the growing number of Australian libraries offering ebooks. The City of Melbourne announced this week that MLS has added ebooks to the service's download collection....
Bolinda digital for libraries, plans for bookshops and ebooks
Bolinda has launched an audiobook download solution for libraries, with plans to offer the solution to retailers next year, and to incorporate ebook downloads in the future. ‘Bolinda digital is...
Bolinda launches ‘e-audiobook’ service for libraries & book retailers
Audiobook publisher Bolinda has launched Bolinda Digital, a new ‘e-audiobook’ service for both online book retailers and libraries.Bolinda Digital titles will appear on-screen in catalogue searches as the library or...
WA libraries to receive almost $3 million more to buy books
The Western Australian state government has announced increased funding for books for libraries in the state. Culture and Arts minister John Day said council-run libraries would share $9.3 million dollars...
Booksellers summit ‘a very constructive exercise’
A group of 15 bookselling and library supply representatives met in Sydney yesterday to 'discuss and come to agreement on the major issues facing booksellers'.The meeting included representatives from all...
Gillard launches school library inquiry
Education Minister Julia Gillard has asked the parliament's House Standing Committee on Education and Training to launch an inquiry into and to report on ‘the role, adequacy and resourcing of...
In brief
Leading Edge ConferenceThe Leading Edge Books National Conference will be held this weekend, 6-8 March, in Hobart. Over 80 independent booksellers will be attending, and many publishers and authors will...
McIntyre wins librarians award at annual Dromkeen lunch
Pam McIntyre, lecturer in language and literacy at the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education, was presented with the 2009 Dromkeen Librarians Award at the annual Dromkeen Literary Luncheon...
‘Australian Library News’ launches website
WBN's sister publication Australian Library News (ALN) has launched a new website at www.librarynews.com.au.The site contains information about ALN, the only independent, weekly news source on the library sector in...
In brief
New Zealand retailer The Warehouse goes online The Warehouse is offering online shopping within New Zealand, starting with books, DVDs, CDs, game software and gift cards. Chief executive Ian Morrice...
DA acquires library division of Foreign Language Bookshop
DA Information Services has announced it has acquired The Foreign Language Bookshop's library division. The division, now called Languages Direct, supplies LOTE (Languages Other Than English) books and audiovisual material to...
Fox, Courtenay top PLR lending lists
The Public Lending Right (PLR) Committee has released its annual report, showing it approved annual payments of over $7 million for the financial year 2007-08. Annual payments of $7646010.58 were...
70,000 take part in National Simultaneous Storytime
This year's National Simultaneous Storytime took place around Australia at 11am today. The national event, which sees 70,000 Australian children at almost 900 locations enjoy storytime with the same book,...
National Library removes ‘publishers and booksellers’ list from website
The National Library of Australia (NLA) has announced that it will be removing the publishers and booksellers list from the Australian Libraries Gateway website.The list was intended ‘to provide a...
In brief
Rivers and Siems leave Phoenix to found Teaching SolutionsHaving sold their shares in Phoenix Education to their partner David Stewart, Barney Rivers and Ruth Siems have now founded a new...
Over 3000 teens vote for Inky winners
The State Library of Victoria's Centre for Youth Literature has announced the winners of the inaugural Inky awards, Australia's first teenage choice book prize. The Golden Inky goes to Notes...
In brief
How one grumpy Kiwi cost Amazon a patentAmazon.com is on the brink of losing one of its most coveted patents, all due to the efforts of one disgruntled customer from...
WA library literacy program wins top business arts award
The State Library of Western Australia’s family literacy program this week won a top award for its role in fostering literacy in the community. The Better Beginnings program took out...