Some articles you might find interesting:

From The New York Times: Libraries and Readers Wade Into Digital Lending
Electronic book borrowing is a convenient way for libraries to remain relevant, but publishers are worried.

From Atlanta Journal Constitution: Kindle lightens textbook load, but flaws remain.

Orange Grove Texts Plus

When developing the OnCoRe Blueprint, one of the main issues to surface is that of repository sustainability. No one seems to have discovered an ideal model or approach for addressing this critical issue. One possible model for long-term financial viability of a digital repository is provided by a current initiative of The Orange Grove, Florida's digital repository.

The Orange Grove has been monitoring the increased interest in open textbooks, and, in conjunction with the University Press of Florida, recently launched an effort to address the rising cost of textbooks. Orange Grove Texts Plus (OGT+) is a pilot project designed to provide students and researchers with high–quality texts that are affordable, accessible, and adaptable to reader preferences.

Students can access a wide range of textbooks in a choice of electronic or bound-book formats. These books are priced, on average, 40-50% less than similar textbooks purchased at retail outlets, including online discounters. The financial model for this initiative anticipates that revenues received from print copies of texts will be used to recover printing costs and costs to maintain the system for delivery of textbooks and content. Within three years, it is hoped that the repository will be financially self-sustaining

The OGT+ initiative has been receiving a lot of press coverage, including:

• The Tallahassee Democrat (both an article and an editorial)
• The Chronicle of Higher Education
• The Independent Florida Alligator
• Tampa Tribune
• The South Florida Sun-Sentinel
• The St. Pete Times
• News Service of Florida