For complete article, go here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304898704577479174051216172.html

Penguin Group and electronic-book distributor 3M have made a deal with two New York City public library systems that will return Penguin e-books to library shelves for a one-year pilot.

The pilot, crafted to protect e-book sales, will delay the release of e-books to the libraries for six months after the titles go on sale in stores and online. Each library e-book will expire after a year.

Not sure exactly what that means but I belong to both libraries so I guess I'll find out soon. :)

Means that instead of getting New ebook releases they wont get them for 6 months Hopefully to Boost ebook sales.  AND after 1 yr the ebooks at the library will expire!  Again to boost sales!  Adv live of HB sales is 12 to 18 months I guessing this is where they came up with this!  Usually 12 to 18 months is when books hit the stores as PBs!  

Right now, Penguin isn't allowing eBooks at all to libraries. Random House and HarperCollins are priced so high or have imposed such circulating limits that it's impractical to have them, especially with allthe budget cuts at libraries.

If this new deal means the difference in getting books 6 months late versus not at all, it's better than nothing.

interesting.  well, i hope that the pilot goes well so that they can expand it to other libraries!

D.G., i'd be interested to hear when Penguin titles start showing up again.  i've toyed with buying that library membership, but it's expensive.

I just read in another article that the pilot is supposed to start in August. Also, it seems that they will be using 3M as the distributor instead of Overdrive so I'm expecting having to download another program.

But it's worthy if I have access to some ebooks again. I don't mind the 6 months window (these people have to make a living) as I'm never in a rush to read anything and if I am, then I just buy the ebook.

I'm interested in what 3M has to offer.