If you have been reading the news, you will no doubt see all of the strains eBooks have put on the publishing industry. Most notably the major publishers colluding with Apple to set fixed prices on eBooks.

Great news came out when Tor announced it would begin publishing books with Digital Rights Management (DRM). eBooks are essentially licenses that we buy to read the book. This means that we do not actually own it.

So if you buy a eBook from Amazon, their DRM will prevent you from reading it on your iPad. This also means you can't donate it to your friendly local library so others can enjoy it as well. In the future, we may see less restricive DRM, such as "Lightweight DRM" mentioned by an association of big publishers.

As with any new, disruptive technology, the market and old models will have to flex, strain, and/or be reconstructed to accomodate new technolgies. In the meantime, we here at the library are dedicated to finding new sources of content and ways to spread it out, for free, to our community!

We are proud to announce the LibraryBox, a mobile wireless network that distributes free eBooks and other digital media files. There are no logins, no holds, and no due dates! Just find the wireless network "LibraryBox - Free Content" and connect.

Our offerings will change frequently, so be sure to check back. It will be accessible at the library until the end of May, then move to businesses in the community, first stop Caribou Coffee!

Want to get involved? Great! The second function of the LibraryBox is to promote community artists, writers, musicians and other creative people. We would be happy to host your content for free!

For more informaton about publishing materials to the LibraryBox, or if you want to host it, contact Matt at mneer@lfl.alibrary.com.