California Libraries To Do Deal with Smashwords

[stonetools]

The San Mateo-based Califa Group, which is the largest library network in California, has made major strides in its project to create an ebook ownership model along the same lines as the Douglas County Libraries in Colorado.

Califa has substantially increased its funding for the project from an initial $30,000 to $325,000, and Contra Costa County Library is going to be the pilot library for the project;
The consortium, which represents 220 multi-type library systems, is on the verge of striking a deal with Smashwords for outright ownership of its top-selling titles, which will also include a self-publishing option for patrons;
It has partnered with the Kansas State Library, which has joined the consortium and is going to provide funding for the project, and discussions are ongoing with other state library agencies; and
Boopsie will provide mobile apps for the platform.
“My head is spinning a bit and I’m getting an appreciation of the complexity this involves, but everyone is very excited about it,” said Heather Teysko, Califa’s director of innovation and development.

Under the deal with Smashwords, a four-year-old rapidly rising self-publishing platform which recently reported annual revenues of $12 million, Califa will be able to purchase about 10,000 of the company’s top titles for about $3 a title. Califa will house the files on an Adobe Content Server that it purchased for $10,000 (with an annual maintenance fee of $1,500) and which the Quipu Group is configuring.

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Sounds like a good deal for indie authors and Smashwords. They'll gset majorexposure in one of the nation's largest libray systems. Now they need to write those good books....

[crossi]

Now this should scare the Big 6 publishers. They should boycott the libraries. Oh wait. They already are.

[Xanthe]

Makes sense for Smashwords and its authors.