Hi, If I'm not mistaken, this would require ebook vendors to expand their APIs to include the ability to checkout and download. I know of no vendor who does this. But maybe I'm wrong on both counts... Erik. -- Erik Sandall, MLIS Electronic Services Librarian & Webmaster Mechanics' Institute 57 Post Street San Francisco, CA 94104 415-393-0111 [log in to unmask] On 3/24/2015 5:31 PM, Becky Schneider wrote: > Here is an article that explores how such an app could be developed using > existing technology: > > http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2013/building-a-community-of-readers-social-reading-and-an-aggregated-ebook-reading-app-for-libraries/ > > Becky Schneider > Reference Librarian > Fauquier County Public Library > > On Tue, Mar 24, 2015 at 7:39 PM, Lauren Magnuson < > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> I'm curious to know if anyone has explored creating a mobile app for their >> library that would facilitate downloading /reading library ebooks from >> multiple library ebook vendors. I'm envisioning an app that would allow >> the user to browse ebooks from multiple platforms (e.g., ebrary, EBSCO) and >> enable downloading and DRM management stuff right in the app. >> >> I can think of a million roadblocks to creating something like this >> (publishers, vendors, Adobe, etc.) But I can also think of a lot of good >> reasons why this would be very useful (the process to download an ebook >> from an academic library is, for the most part, ludicrous). >> >> I know there's Overdrive - and ebrary has it's own app, or whatever, and >> there are apps like Bluefire that can be used with library ebooks - but >> something non-platform specific that could conceivably work for multiple >> library ebook platforms (and be customized by a library to allow the reader >> to browse collections) is what I have in mind. I also really dig this >> Reader's First (http://readersfirst.org/) initiative, which it looks like >> is wrangling with a lot of the policy /vendor side of things. >> >> Feel free to contact me off list with any information / ideas / advice. >> This feels like a kind of enormous problem, and a lot of libraries could >> benefit from a group working toward a technical solution - but perhaps such >> a group / initiative already exists? >> >> Thanks in advance, >> >> Lauren Magnuson >> Systems & Emerging Technologies Librarian, CSU Northridge >> Development Coordinator, PALNI >>