Fostering digital access

Last month, I wrote about "The eBook Renaissance, Part II: Challenges and Opportunities", an upcoming event hosted by the National Informations Standards Organization (NISO). The event takes place on October 18 and 19.

On October 18, I am moderating a panel, "Running with the Bulls: Publisher Perspectives on Managing eBook Growth". When I first wrote about the conference, we were still working to assemble the full panel. I'm happy to confirm that the panel will feature representatives from four publishers with a range of digital perspectives. The participants include:

  • Ken Brooks, SVP, Global Production & Manufacturing Services, Cengage Learning
  • Isabella Steel, Head of Digital Business Development, HarperCollins Publishers
  • Ania Wieckowski, Managing Editor, HBR Press
  • Adam Witwer, Director, Publishing Technology, O'Reilly Media

For this session, we are going without presentations, favoring questions from both the moderator and the audience. It should be an informative session.

Later this month, I'll also be presenting "The opportunity in abundance" at Long Island Library Resource Council's (LILRC) 21st Annual Conference on Libraries and the Future. Its theme this year is "The Cloud in the Forecast:  Access and Ownership".

That meeting takes place in Fortunoff Hall at Dowling College in Oakdale, NY on Thursday evening, October 25, and Friday, October 26, 2012. I'll be starting the day on October 26. Other participants that day include OCLC's Matt Goldner, speaking about "Shifting sands and new foundations" and The American Assembly's Joe Karaganis, who will address "The Pirate Archive: Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control".

While I've had a number of chances to present "The opportunity in abundance", I particularly welcome meetings at which I can engage with a library-focused audience. My LILRC session has been given 75 minutes, allowing a good amount of time for questions and dialogue. NISO expects that 60% of those attending will claim a library background, and they have allocated 90 minutes for the panel.

About Brian O'Leary

Founder and principal of Magellan Media Consulting, Brian O’Leary helps enterprises with media and publishing components capitalize on the power of content. A veteran of more than 30 years in the publishing industry and a prolific content producer himself, Brian leverages the breadth and depth of his experience to deliver innovative content solutions.