Dear fellow IDPF members,

I submit my nomination for election to the IDPF Board of Directors.

Sometimes it takes a long time for change to happen quickly.  Academic libraries, public libraries, collegiate retailers, and traditional booksellers will be among some of the first direct-customer-facing organizations to be changed by the transition from print to digital.  Indeed, there are several libraries and college stores represented among IDPF's membership for that reason. We would like to see IDPF continue to evolve to handle the many traditional and evolving forms of content in use within the academic community, and in a way that both libraries and retailers can support the delivery of that content.  From trade books and professional publishing titles used as textbooks, to custom coursepacks, traditional textbooks, and beyond, the way content is being used in higher education is changing.  We would like to see IDPF and the EPUB standard evolve with us to support an increasingly complex content landscape that goes beyond traditional forms of reading and written expression.  We also want to ensure that EPUB supports accessibility requirements for the communities that libraries and retailers serve.  We believe EPUB can support and extend industry thinking around metadata, digital rights, open access, custom content, accessibility, and other opportunities.

NACS has been a member of IDPF now for nearly four years, during which time we have watched the development of the EPUB standard for digital books.  A lot of progress has been made by IDPF during that timeframe.  I believe we are reaching the "knee of the curve" for adoption of e-books and e-reader technologies, and IDPF is well positioned to provide needed standards and structures to facilitate the transition.  As an education-oriented retail member of IDPF, I will seek to effectively represent the perspective of the higher education community and collegiate retailing.  I believe this perspective is an important aspect of the future of digital content delivery that has to date not fully engaged in the conversation, despite having much to contribute.  Diversity of perspectives has contributed to the success of IDPF and the EPUB standard to date, and thus I ask for your support as I seek nomination to the Board.

Thank you,

Mark R. Nelson

 

Bio:
Mark R. Nelson, is the digital content strategist at the National Association of College Stores (NACS) and Vice President for Strategy and Development with NACS Media Solutions. Over the past four years, Mark participated as a speaker for both national and international audiences providing information and updates on digital content delivery and the future of course materials.  Mark recently completed a five year fellowship with the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, where one of his last articles, "E-Books in Higher Education:  Are We Nearing the End of the Era of Hype" became one of the five most read articles related to technology in higher education in 2008. Mark also co-chaired an international taskforce on digital textbooks.  Prior to joining NACS in 2005, Mark was assistant professor in management information systems and information technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.   He earned his Ph.D. in information science with distinction from the University at Albany in 1998, and an MBA in Marketing in 2000.  He also holds a B.S. in computer science with honors from Saint Michael's College.

 

Mark R. Nelson, Ph.D., MBA

Digital Content Strategist, National Association of College Stores

VP Strategy & Development, NACS Media Solutions