Mark Glaser, whom I just started following on Google+, linked to a couple of Mediashift stories of interest to Copyfighters, I think.

In the first story Audrey Watters takes up a particular instance of the problem with lending libraries and e-books: school libraries. These libraries, like others, are facing incredibly tight and shrinking budgets these days and may not be able to afford a major transition from traditional physical books to e-readers/e-books and the potential additional financial implications of setting up a lending program for electronic books. It won't surprise anyone here to read that DRM is a (maybe the) big hurdle to getting these programs going. Libraries can't afford to buy an excessive number of devices, so DRM that locks books to specific devices or even brands of device is a non-starter.

In the second story, Carla King takes on the issue of self-publishing and getting your book into physical distribution outlets. The entry is actually part of a series on self-publishing - the second so far. In this piece King shares her advice on how to handle print-on-demand situations as well as finding a distributor or other partner who can do the legwork necessary. Again, no surprise to see that Createspace is still a dominant entity in this growing business and that, still, self-publishing is hard work. That said, King's message is overall positive - you can do this, if you are willing to put in the work.