Free ebooks for poor low income kids

[fjtorres]

From NBCNEWS:
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/...e-kids-n351101

President Barack Obama will go to a public library in one of Washington's poorest neighborhoods on Thursday to talk about a plan to give low-income children access to 10,000 e-books.

Working with publishers and libraries, the White House sees the modest plan as part of a strategy to address inner city problems by increasing educational opportunities for kids -- woes brought into focus with recent riots in nearby Baltimore.

Kids will need computers and devices to read the e-books.

No mention if it's 10,000 titles or total copies.
Given the "modest" adjective and the BPH involvement, it might be the latter.
Politicians are tricky that way.

Of course, kids with the necessary hardware already have access to a lot more than 10,000 titles.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

From NBCNEWS:
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/...e-kids-n351101

No mention if it's 10,000 titles or total copies.
Given the "modest" adjective and the BPH involvement, it might be the latter.
Politicians are tricky that way.

Of course, kids with the necessary hardware already have access to a lot more than 10,000 titles.

They also cited a $250 million commitment from publishers. Unless there are significant other parts to the program, I would hope that they mean titles. Otherwise you're talking about $25,000 per book. At that price you could provide an ereader and a part time librarian with each copy.

[David Munch]

Poor kids who cant afford an ereader anyway? Why not just buy them regular books ?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by David Munch

Poor kids who cant afford an ereader anyway? Why not just buy them regular books ?

Or spend the $250m on 5M eink readers pre-loaded with classic ebooks, textbooks, and tutorials.

Of course, since pbooks actually cost something to print and distribute it could also be because "gifting" ebooks costs them nothing--just royalties--and they get to deduct more than that off their taxes so they actually come out ahead. Plus they get a presser showing how much they care about the poor.

[tubemonkey]

Kids will need computers and devices to read the e-books.

Who's providing the hardware?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Who's providing the hardware?

Really now?
Looking a gift horse in the mouth?

Bad monkey!

[Catlady]

I don't get it. If they have the hardware, all they need is Project Gutenberg or a library card to get access to thousands of books. If they don't have the hardware, it's meaningless.

[amazon author]

Hope, we do not get affected by this, that is, forcing to give away ebooks for free, many of the authors are as poor the poor kids out there.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by amazon author

Hope, we do not get affected by this, that is, forcing to give away ebooks for free, many of the authors are as poor the poor kids out there.

Why would indie authors be forced to give away their books?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Catlady

... or a library card to get access to thousands of books. ...

My first thought on reading the OP was "Huh? Did Obama just propose to invent public libraries?"

[Froide]

RE:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Of course, kids with the necessary hardware already have access to a lot more than 10,000 titles.

Originally Posted by Catlady

I don't get it. If they have the hardware, all they need is Project Gutenberg or a library card to get access to thousands of books.

I think the "big ideas" here are:
(1) under-served youth are not reading for pleasure, but should be
(2) this campaign will publicize and (hopefully) make it both attractive and easy-peasy for target audience members (who live in inner cities) to read for pleasure

RE:

Originally Posted by Catlady

If they don't have the hardware, it's meaningless.

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Who's providing the hardware?

Originally Posted by David Munch

Poor kids who cant afford an ereader anyway? Why not just buy them regular books ?

I've read that many poor folks have smartphones, including schoolkids, so some kids can read on those. Additionally, many public libraries lend patrons e-readers, and many public schools lend kids tablets.

RE:

Originally Posted by David Munch

Poor kids who cant afford an ereader anyway? Why not just buy them regular books ?

I'm sure it's cheaper and easier for publishers to donate ebooks than paper books.

RE: How's it helpful to offer free ebooks to kids whose families may be too poor to have Internet access at home?

Answer: In the low income inner city neighborhoods being targeted (such as those in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. where President Obama will be stumping this program), free Internet access is widely available at public libraries, at (some) public schools, and at Internet hotspots (e.g., coffee shops, fast food joints, major transit depots, and many stores). Moreover, some public libraries are giving away free Internet "hotspot" devices to low-income families in addition to lending e-readers to patrons.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I don't get it. If they have the hardware, all they need is Project Gutenberg or a library card to get access to thousands of books. If they don't have the hardware, it's meaningless.

Originally Posted by ApK

My first thought on reading the OP was "Huh? Did Obama just propose to invent public libraries?"

Exactly!

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Froide

Most kids have smartphones and can read on those. Additionally, many public libraries lend patrons ereaders, and many public schools lend kids tablets.

This program makes no sense, because kids already have access to public libraries for free content. But; not all kids have devices or access to them, so that area needs to be addressed.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Froide

RE:

I've read that many poor folks have smartphones, including schoolkids, so some kids can read on those. Additionally, many public libraries lend patrons e-readers, and many public schools lend kids tablets..

But again, if they've got a device like that, all they need is the library card. I don't know that ownership of a digital file would feel significant to a child the way ownership of a physical book felt meaningful to kids in earlier generations. Seems like it would be better to donate the e-books to the public libraries to expand their collections of kids' books.

[Froide]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

This program makes no sense, because kids already have access to public libraries for free content. But; not all kids have devices or access to them, so that area needs to be addressed.

The program's not perfect, but I get what it's trying to accomplish and applaud the effort. As my post above addresses, there are multiple issues at play, and you've highlighted two of them, each of which I think this program is trying to address:

(1) "kids already have access to public libraries for free content."

True, but here's the rub: the target audience must not be reading (much) for pleasure nor making much use of the public library or free ebook sources, such as Project Gutenberg. Programs like "The Big Read" try "to restore reading to the center of American culture", but apparently such programs aren't making the desired impact with this target audience. So, I think the key point of President Obama's program is to try another approach to entice this target group of under-served kids to read.

(2) " But; not all kids have devices or access to them, so that area needs to be addressed"

According to the above-linked article and other news reports, that issue actually is being addressed. Not only do many libraries lend e-readers, and schools lend tablets or laptops, but as the above-linked article indicates: "Jeff Zients, Obama's top economic adviser, noted the White House had previously announced programs to upgrade Internet services for schools and libraries, with private sector help from companies including Apple, which pledged $100 million in devices to low-income schools."