Overwhelmed by the number of electronic reference resources available? Having difficulty selecting the very best tools for your library? Find the help you've been waiting for in this premier co-publication from ""Library Journal"" and Neal-Schuman. This indispensable new guide is armed with concise, easily digestible ratings from an authoritative dream-team of practicing librarians and information professionals. ""E-Reference Ratings"" test drives 180 resources in 14 subject areas, from Arts to Science to Technology and everything in between. Each subject category is matched with an easy-to-understand chart that ranks tools from one to four stars, in 7 categories including Scope, Writing, Design, Bells and Whistles, Ease of Use, Linking and Value. Additional, in-depth descriptions of each tool are included, and a multitude of added features, including contributor biographies and exhaustive indexes, will earn this guide a spot at every reference desk.

Library Technology Reports, October 2017 (53:7) How can we make e-books more readily available to our users, our communities, and society at large? In this issue of Library Technology Reports (vol. 53, no. 7), “Free Reading Zones: Transforming Access to Books through Technology,” Mirela Roncevic explores this question by taking a look at a unique e-book business model that turns geographic spaces into open virtual libraries to enable reading, promote literacy, and expose more books to more people. This report discusses Free Reading Zones (FREZ), which are designated areas that provide people free and uninterrupted access to e-books through sponsorships. Roncevic shares how this initiative came about, who’s behind it, and the short-term and long-term goals of FREZ. Throughout the issue, Roncevic explores how FREZ can empower the e-book industry—consumers, aggregators, distributers, and publishers—by equalizing access to knowledge and education in areas beyond thriving city communities. Describing her experience launching the first FREZ in a small European café and turning the entire country of Croatia into an open virtual library for one whole month, she shows how creating open virtual libraries can make reading more accessible and open. The goal of this report is to both inspire and motivate librarians to embrace the idea of open virtual libraries and attempt similar initiatives in their communities.

E-book vendors continue to experiment: adjustments to business models, consolidation of content, and mergers with competitors mean constant change. What’s good for innovation can equal confusion when it comes to choosing an e-book platform for your library. Making a sound purchasing decision requires research and close consideration of trade-offs, and Roncevic’s new issue of Library Technology Reports will get you started. Based on surveys of e-book vendors with an established presence in academic, public, and/or K–12 library markets, this report includes Background and business model descriptions for 51 leading e-book vendors Four tables comparing content, technical specifications, functionality, and business models An at-a-glance overview of platforms, including vendor website URLs Bulleted checklists of factors to consider, and questions to ask vendors An examination of the blurring channels of publisher, aggregator, and distributor platforms, with advice to help you avoid content overlap