Big publishers take fresh look at digital book services

News Corp-owned HarperCollins this month became the first of the “big five” publishers to sign up to a digital books library service, agreeing a deal with San Francisco-based Scribd. Some books analysts see this as a milestone for the sector, bringing valuable content to these platforms and with it the likelihood of renewed interest from consumers. It is also a sign, say some, that revenue models can be found that do not alienate the big publishers. Some of the biggest ones are concerned that these services will merely shift many of their more voracious book buyers on to library-style platforms, further denting sales during a period of global decline.