Go digital by all means, but don't bring the venture capitalists in to do it

For centuries we the taxpayers have paid to maintain the nation’s treasures and institutions. It would be madness to hand over our archives nowIt’s brutal out there for public service institutions. They are under relentless pressure to conform to a bizarre form of market logic that requires them to turn a profit, even if the only way to do so is at the expense of the public that has supported them for all these years. Whether that’s archives that are being told to make up their budget shortfalls by selling digital access or the BBC being told to expect a much-reduced license fee and to make up the difference by figuring out how to grow Worldwide, its commercial arm.Even when it’s not so direct as that, the pressure is still there: libraries are forced to carry DRM-locked ebooks by the publishers, even though these books leak huge amounts of sacrosanct patron data – location, reading habits and social relationships – to third parties. From the NHS to the state school system to public media to museums, every institution is being recreated as something that must be judged on nonsensical quantitative metrics that can be easily gamed to make the relevant numbers go up while undermining the services they relate to. For example, schools can improve their attendance numbers by refusing to allow students to accompany their parents to events with unique educational value; hospitals can improve their finances by refusing to treat chronic and emergency patients; and archives can... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Digital 2016: Publishing Is a Digital Business

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Solutions Industry: Then, Now and the Future: Digital Solutions in India 2015

Over the last decade, publishers have seen many external factors impacting their business models. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Discoverability of Relevant Content: Digital Solutions in India 2015

Until recently, our conversations about ebooks with publishing clients centered on conversion—on tools and workflows, competing standards, best practices, and retailer requirements, decisions around fixed layout v. reflow, opportunities for enhancement and interactivity, accessibility, and the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Charting the Transformation in Digital Content and Solutions: Digital Solutions in India 2015

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Evolution in the Spanish Markets: Digital Spotlight 2015

Spanish is the third most widely spoken language in the world after English and Chinese, and the revenue potential of a market consisting of 550 million Spanish speakers worldwide is not being overlooked by the publishing sector. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Brazil’s Race to Digital: Digital Spotlight 2015

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ByteDance promised to sue if the U.S. bans TikTok. Legal experts weigh in on what it means for users

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'PW' Taps Cevin Bryerman to Lead New Venture, PW Content Studio; Joe Murray Promoted to Publisher

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