Libraries As E-Publishing Centers

Going to the library to publish a book is not a connection many people are not likely to make. The Library is a place to go borrow books, right? Maybe not. In March, Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, a leading indie e-book publisher, wrote a piece for the Huffington Post about how public libraries can create community value through becoming local e-publishing centers. “Libraries are uniquely qualified to marshal community resources and talent to help local writers become publishers. Local self-published authors, in turn, have an exciting opportunity —working with the library— to give back to their community by mentoring the next generation of writers,” he claims.[i]