This paper studies emerging technologies for tracking reading behaviors (“reading analytics”) and their implications for reader privacy, attempting to place them in a historical context. It discusses what data is being collected, to whom it is available, and how it might be used by various interested parties (including authors). I explore means of tracking what’s being read, who is doing the reading, and how readers discover what they read. The paper includes two case studies: mass-market e-books (both directly acquired by readers and mediated by libraries) and scholarly journals (usually mediated by academic libraries); in the latter case I also provide examples of the implications of various authentication, authorization and access management practices on reader privacy. While legal issues are touched upon, the focus is generally pragmatic, emphasizing technology and marketplace practices. The article illustrates the way reader privacy concerns are shifting from government to commercial surveillance, and the interactions between government and the private sector in this area. The paper emphasizes U.S.-based developments.

If you're looking to make sense of all the stats and figures out there relating to the world of digital book publishing, who you gonna call? Thankfully, the pseudonymous Data Guy has got it covered.

There's one major industry where the Netflix model was a complete flop. Here's a breakdown of what happened to the concept of a "Netflix of books" and why.

CJEU says it only applies to one copy at a time; must be obtained legally.

Teachers are finding that when they explicitly teach deep reading strategies geared to digital media, students can access and comprehend complex texts.

Donna Beasley is making history. For the first time in the publishing world, a digital-first book library has been launched to serve Black and Latino

SimplyE, a new app from the New York Public Library reduces the once-cumbersome process of checking out library e-books to three clicks or fewer.

According to Publisher’s Weekly, a report by the Association of American Publishers’ shows that overall publishing industry sales fell by 2.6% last year when compared to figures from 2014. Now that we have a clearer picture of the industry’s…

The World Intellectual Property Organization treaty to facilitate access to books in special formats for visually impaired people will enter into effect, as the 20th member state acceded to the treaty today.

OverDrive, a company that provides an e-book and audiobook platform for schools, has launched K-5 QuickStart, a collection of 200 e-books designed to help encourage reading among students in elementary school.