eBooks on Demand project is chosen for ALA prize

The eBooks on Demand (EOD) project of the EOD Network is one of three projects selected to receive the 2013 American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects.

The EOD service provides e-books on demand in a single PDF file, mostly with a full-text search option. The service was launched by 13 libraries in eight European countries in 2006 and is currently provided by 35 libraries in 12 countries.

The project was nominated for the ALA award by a network member, Alenka Kaveie-Eoliae from the National and University Library in Slovenia. Among other things, the nomination letter drew attention to: the way that the EOD network has enlarged by 10 libraries over the past three years; the EOD search engine, which was launched in 2011 and now comprises more than 3.5 million items; and the digitised books that are made available to the public through the repositories of the participating libraries.

The Citation will be presented on 1 July by Maureen Sullivan, ALA president at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. It will be received by the coordinator of the EOD network, Silvia Gstrein and a network member, Guy Cobolet from Academic Health Library in Paris.