E Is for E-book.

The article focuses on the challenges school libraries face with shrinking budgets and a consolidating vendor landscape for digital materials, particularly e-books. Following increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, school libraries now contend with higher e-book costs, restrictive licensing models, and fewer vendor options, including the recent partnership between Follett Content and Sora, OverDrive’s student reading app. School librarians across various states describe adapting procurement strategies by using multiple vendors, collaborating with public libraries, and joining consortia like the Connecticut Library Consortium to negotiate better pricing. Legislative efforts, such as Connecticut’s e-book reform law, aim to address inequities in e-book lending contracts, reflecting ongoing concerns about balancing access for students with fair terms for publishers and authors. [Extracted from the article]