The Digital Shelf Publishing & Library Forum: Hacking the Holds List: How Library Market Makers Can Incentivize Fair Licensing Through Strategic Holds Ratios
Webinar Description
How Library Market Makers Can Incentivize Fair Licensing Through Strategic Holds Ratios
In an era of rising costs and restrictive licensing, libraries must move beyond being passive consumers of digital content. Your collection budget is more than just a line item—it is a powerful tool for advocacy and influence.
This webinar explores how libraries can leverage "the power of the purse" to reshape the digital lending landscape. Leading selectors will dive into tactical collection development strategies that maximize patron access to titles with limited collection budgets and reward the publishers who support that access with fair-minded terms. Attendees will learn how to implement differential holds ratios that prioritize fair and reasonable license terms and how to align purchasing power with the long-term sustainability of library ecosystems.
Publishers, join us to learn how library leaders are buying books; librarians, join us and take the first step toward transforming your procurement process into a proactive tool to promote library access and digital equity. Free continuing education credit is available to librarian attendees.
Learning Outcomes
- Execute Strategic Resource Allocation: Apply "power of the purse" principles to maximize access and visibility for publishers and authors who offer fair pricing and sustainable library licensing terms.
- Optimize Access through Differential Holds: Design and implement variable holds-to-copy ratios that reward favorable license models, ensuring a higher return on investment for library-friendly digital content.
- Advocate for Market Equity: Understand various ways to communicate these collection development policies so they can join the library in advocating for more equitable digital lending standards for libraries.
Intended Audience
Librarians and publishers
Partners
Michael Blackwell, ReadersFirst
Michael Blackwell is the Director of the St. Mary's County Library and leads ReadersFirst. As a prominent national advocate for e-resources, he is instrumental in coordinating efforts across nearly 300 libraries to campaign for fair pricing, sustainable licensing, and an easier patron experience for library e-book content.
Jeremy Johannesen, Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA)
Jeremy Johannesen is the Executive Director of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), an organization dedicated to supporting state library administrative agencies. He is a recognized advocate for nationwide library policy, leading COSLA's long-term efforts to influence publisher pricing and licensing models for e-books and digital content, ensuring equitable access and sustainable solutions for public libraries across the states.
Presenters
Rebecca Harlow, Head of Reference and Adult Services, Case Memorial Library
Rebecca Harlow is Head of Reference and Adult Services at Case Memorial Library in Orange, Connecticut. She chairs the E-Materials Committee for the LION Consortium, overseeing digital collections that serve more than 240,000 Connecticut residents. She also co-chairs the Connecticut Library Association Legislative Committee, through which she helped champion the passage of the state’s landmark e-book bill. Additionally, Rebecca is an ALA Law for Librarians Trainer.
Hilary Lewis, Coordinator of eResources, Carnegie Library Pittsburgh
Hilary Lewis is the Coordinator of eResources for Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) managing digital book collections, online resources, and databases for CLP and the digital resources shared with the Allegheny County Consortium serving a population of over 1.3 million. Hilary is a member of ReadersFirst and Urban Library Council’s eContent Action Team.
Cathy Mason, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Cathy Mason is the Digital Buying Lead at the Columbus Metropolitan Library and the administrator of the Digital Downloads Ohio consortium. This group includes 18 library systems with a combined total of 1.7 million residents served. Cathy also manages her library’s electronic resources and buys some print non-fiction areas. When not at work you can find Cathy cooking, baking, drawing mandalas or building Lego sets.
Micah May, Lyrasis
Micah May is the Director of Business Development for the Ebooks and Community Engagement (EBCE) division at Lyrasis, where he builds partnerships to support The Palace Project.
With over 15 years of experience, Micah is a leader in technology and library innovation. He previously served as Director of Ebooks at the Digital Public Library of America, where he spearheaded the Palace Marketplace and Palace Bookshelf. He also directed technology for Library for All, launching ebook apps in developing nations. As a Senior Director at the New York Public Library, he led strategy and innovation, conceiving and directing SimplyE, an open-source platform that simplifies ebook access. He also secured over $250 million in ebook donations from publishers to create Open Ebooks, an app-based library for children in low-income communities.
Micah holds a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He began his career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he helped create a new research and development group.
Carmi Parker, Librarian, Whatcom County Library System
Carmi Parker is a librarian with Whatcom County Library System and Executive Committee member for the Washington Digital Library Consortium, serving 860,000 residents of Washington State. She is a Readers First Working Group member and has been a guest faculty member with the University of Washington iSchool teaching Collection Development. She was named a 2021 Mover & Shaker by Library Journal.
Jessica Russell, Sno-Isle Libraries
Jessica Russell has always loved books and stories, often getting in trouble for reading in class as a kid. She received her MLIS in 2003 from Louisiana State University and went on to work in public libraries in east Texas. After over a decade in public services, she found a home in Collection Services and supporting public library collections. She is now the Assistant Director of Collection Services at Sno-Isle Libraries in western Washington. Her life experiences and identities have made her passionate about diverse books and the power of seeing your experiences reflected in a story
Lyrasis Learning events are delivered using the Zoom videoconferencing platform and will have AI-generated captions available. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is available upon request. If you need ASL or other accommodations to support your participation in the course, please contact us at es@lyrasis.org at least 2 weeks in advance of the event or as soon as possible.