DPLA and BiblioBoard Partner to Make Indie Author Collection Free for the Summer

By DPLA, June 13, 2019.
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We are pleased to announce a partnership with BiblioBoard’s Indie Author Project, through which a collection of over thirty independently-published books are freely available for anyone to download and read now in the SimplyE app. BiblioBoard’s Indie Author Project supports emerging, diverse, independent writers and promotes stronger relationships between self-published authors and local libraries. Through library partnerships across the country, the project provides programming, such as the Indie Author Project contests, that generate greater visibility and exposure for new and emerging writers and their works.

The Summer Reading collection, which will be available until Labor Day (September 2), includes award-winning works by authors across the country and features Daykeeper by Ran Walker, Indie Author of the Year awardee. This constantly growing selection of titles includes winners of statewide indie author contests, the Black Caucus of the ALA awards, Library Journal eBook awards, and more. Curated by professional reviewers and librarians alike, this collection delivers diverse and exciting new literary voices directly to readers with no holds, checkouts, or waitlists.

Collection Spotlight: Daykeeper by Ran Walker

Daykeeper by Ran Walker, Hampton Public Library, Virginia Indie Author Project Awardee

Ran Walker is the author of sixteen books including novels, novellas, short stories, flash fiction, microfiction, and poetry. His short stories, flash fiction, and poetry have appeared in a variety of anthologies and journals. Ran won the 2018 Virginia Author Project in the adult fiction category for his novel Daykeeper and was chosen as the 2019 Indie Author of the Year out of the 14 winners of last year’s regional Indie Author Project contests. Watch the award ceremony, which took place in conjunction with DPLAfest 2019, and hear from Walker in this interview with Jane Friedman.

Heading to ALA Annual? Don’t miss your chance to meet Ran Walker at the IngramSpark booth Saturday, June 22 at 2:00pm.

Start your Summer Reading Today

Download SimplyE to start reading great books from this collection and thousands more with Open Bookshelf. SimplyE and Open Bookshelf are freely available to anyone with an iOS or Android device.

  1. Download the SimplyE app to your iOS or Android device.
  2. Use the library selector icon in the upper left corner, select Manage Accounts, then Add Library, and select Digital Public Library of America.
  3. Find the Indie Author Summer Reading collection in the top row.

To learn more about Open Bookshelf and other DPLA ebooks offerings, visit https://ebooks.dp.la. DPLA’s Ebook work is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

SimplyE is The New York Public Library’s free e-reader app that makes it easier than ever to borrow ebooks. It is available on the App Store or Google Play. Developed by NYPL as an open source initiative, now other libraries can provide a consolidated and clear view of their e-book collections. Libraries and developers can learn more at the SimplyE project site.