The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and Independent Publishers Group (IPG) have announced an agreement whereby libraries can purchase and own in perpetuity, rather than merely license, tens of thousands of ebook and audiobook titles from dozens of independent publishers, such as Arcadia Publishing, Dover Publications, and others distributed by IPG.
Over the last decade, libraries have typically been able only to license ebooks and audiobooks from publishers and aggregators, with no option to buy. DPLA executive director John S. Bracken says in a release, “This groundbreaking agreement with IPG begins to change these practices. We’re hopeful that more publishers will join us to make their books more accessible to readers everywhere.”
Libraries can purchase titles through the Palace Marketplace, a nonprofit ebook and audiobook platform developed in consultation with libraries, for libraries. Learn more.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
