What Librarians Need to Know About EPUB3

Librarians and library users face challenges with multiple ebook formats. The most common are confusion on the part of users as to what file type they need and what the file type means, as well as how to download it properly to their devices. The sheer number of vendor interfaces also cause technical difficulties due to format variety and instructions for use. In fact, in October 2012, Library Journal Patron Profiles reported that 23% of library patrons were unsuccessful in borrowing ebooks due to technical difficulties. Library users, faced with a variety of ebook formats on a regular basis, are probably unaware of the format they are using. The EPUB3 standard was written with accessibility at its forefront. By incorporating the DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) format into EPUB3, support for full ebook accessibility is now mainstream. In order for this to be fully successful, however, publishers will need to integrate these features into content production