The Digital Shelf
A Publishing & Library Forum
A free webinar series bringing together libraries, publishers, and industry leaders for honest conversations about the future of digital content.
Presented by Palace in collaboration with Lyrasis, ReadersFirst, and COSLA, The Digital Shelf creates space for practical dialogue around equitable access, sustainable models, AI, censorship, and the evolving library ecosystem.
Shared challenges. Shared solutions.
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Upcoming Events
Opening Digital Doors - Accessibility on the Library Shelf
As libraries expand their digital offerings, ensuring that every patron—regardless of physical limitation—can discover, borrow, and enjoy digital content is paramount. But how accessible are the platforms and reading apps we rely on every day and what can libraries do to optimize their digital offerings for patrons with accessibility needs?
Join us for this edition of The Digital Shelf, hosted by The Palace Project, in partnership with COSLA and ReadersFirst, as we dive deep into the real-world accessibility of library digital shelves. Our panel of accessibility advocates, library technology specialists, and digital publishing experts will provide a candid evaluation of major digital library platforms, examine current reading standards (WCAG, VPATs, EPUB3), and share practical strategies for making your library’s digital shelf truly inclusive.
Presenters include: Chancey Fleet (New York Public Library), Robert Laurie (Benetech), Jason Broughton (Dreamscape)
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))
What Are "Reasonable" Library Costs?
Library conversations about what ebook costs should be have gone on since HarperCollins introduced a metered access model in 2011. The conversations gained momentum in 2018, when the rest of the Big 5 publishers moved away from perpetual access to metered models. Recently, with many libraries saying that Big 5 terms are simply unsustainable and state laws (passed or proposed) calling for "commercially reasonable" terms, a discussion of exactly what that might mean is necessary. Libraries of different sizes and collection budgets may have different responses, but agreement on some points may be possible. Should we begin with some comparison to consumer costs--terms which we often already get from Indie publishers? To some equivalent with our print costs? Some model that factors many variables? Join a panel of library selectors and others who have studied this issue in-depth for a lively discussion of the vexing question, "What is Reasonable?"
Presenters include: George Kerscher (DAISY Consortium), Amy Mikel (NY State Ebook Working Group), Carmi Parker (Librarian, Whatcom County Library System), Lisa Radha Vohra (Director, Collections & Membership Services, Toronto Public Library)
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))
AI Toolkit Showcase
As artificial intelligence reshapes library workflows, vendor products, and community needs, staff and leadership face pressing decisions around policy, procurement, programming, and collection management. This showcase brings together leading library technology experts and educators to highlight free, field-tested resources while exploring the critical ethical dimensions—such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and transparency—that underpin every choice. Attendees will explore open-access frameworks, practical vetting tools, and actionable guidelines to help their institutions navigate AI decision-making ethically, strategically, and effectively.
Presenters include: Brooke Doyle (WebJunction), Marshall Breeding (Library Technology Guides), Mike McQueen (Author of AI Toolkit for Librarians), Nick Tanzi (South Huntington Public Library)
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))
Unlocking the Digital Shelf: State Laws Reshaping Library Ebook Access
Across the country, state legislatures are reshaping the library digital marketplace. Moving beyond early federal copyright hurdles, state advocates are successfully introducing and passing legislation grounded in state procurement, consumer protection, and contract law to challenge high e-content pricing, restrictive license expirations, and non-disclosure clauses. This webinar provides an inside look at recent legislative victories in Connecticut and Rhode Island, active legislative momentum in New Jersey, and the broader national movement led by digital rights advocates. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how these bills work—including the mechanics of "trigger clauses"—and how state-level policy can restore equitable digital access for libraries.
Presenters include: Kyle Courtney (Ebook Study Group and Copyright First Responders), Julie Holden (Cranston Public Library), Ellen Paul (Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC)), Jennie Pu (Hoboken Public Library)
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))
Past Events
Critical Data in the Fight to Preserve Access
As book challenges continue to rise, data is a critical tool for libraries fighting to protect access. This webinar will introduce the Banned Book Index Project (BBIP), a collaborative initiative using Wikidata to create an open, definitive dataset of every book ban in the United States.
Attendees will learn how to navigate this resource, submit new data, and use these insights to defend intellectual freedom in their own communities. We will also provide a special overview of The Banned Book Club and Books Unbanned, highlighting how these programs are actively bypassing local restrictions to keep digital books in the hands of readers.
Join us to explore how open-source data and digital initiatives are building a more resilient infrastructure for the future of access.
Presenters include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst), Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA)), Tasslyn Magnusson (PEN America), Christie Thomas (University of Chicago), Micah May (Lyrasis/Palace Project)
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))
Hacking the Holds List: How Selectors Incentivize Fair Licensing
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.
Presenters include: Rebecca Harlow (Case Memorial Library), Hilary Lewis (Carnegie Library Pittsburgh), Cathy Mason (Columbus Metropolitan Library), Micah May (Lyrasis/Palace Project)
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))
Publisher Lightning Round
This high-energy "lightning round" session will feature rapid-fire updates from 5-8 major publishers, including representatives from the Big 5 and other major publishers that have never before entered into dialogue with libraries. Each publisher will highlight their most exciting upcoming titles, digital content trends, and their feelings toward libraries in short, fast-paced segments. The session will conclude with a brief, moderated Q&A, providing libraries with critical, timely market intelligence for collection development.
Presenters include: Micah May (Lyrasis/Palace Project), Nuria Planas (Bookwire), Glenn Atamaniuk (Dreamscape), Amanda Crimarco (MacMillian), and Brian Nielsen (Penguin Random House)
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))
Sustainable Ebooks
The last decade has brought many challenges to providing digital content in libraries. Unfavorable license terms, at least when compared to print, have made ebook and digital audiobook collections difficult to grow and sustain. In this webinar, we will discuss some ways librarians are working to meet these challenges, including metrics that foster better cost-effectiveness, a discussion of what costs might, in fact, be "reasonable" terms for digital, and some new license types—including ownership—that might help.
Presenters include: Carmi Parker (Whatcom County Library System), Amy Mikel (Brooklyn Public Library), Claire Kelley (Seven Stories Press)
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))
Ethical AI in Libraries
We are at a critical juncture where generative artificial intelligence presents both immense promise and complex ethical challenges for libraries. While AI is touted as a technological revolution, its significant harms—including environmental costs, bias, plagiarism, and economic instability—cannot be ignored. This panel will convene library technology experts and industry leaders to critically examine the "potential" of AI and assess what it truly means for our profession. We'll discuss the many ethical issues, share practical strategies for library workers who question its use, and offer resources to ensure libraries continue to prioritize human knowledge, inquiry, and ethical considerations.
Presenters include: Micah May (Lyrasis/Palace Project), Marshall Breeding (Library Technology Guides), Michael Hanegan (Intersections), Peter Musser (Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME))
Partners include: Michael Blackwell (ReadersFirst) and Jeremy Johannesen (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA))