Over 160 out-of-print Australian books revived and released as ebooks

A three-year project has revived over 160 out-of-print Australian books, including six Miles Franklin award winners, and made them available as ebooks for the first time. This initiative, called Untapped, aims to restore important literary works to circulation. The project involved collaboration between researchers, authors, and libraries, addressing issues with rigid copyright agreements that have led to many titles disappearing from the market. The revived ebooks have seen significant circulation, with one title borrowed 1,744 times in a year. The project also collected data on ebook consumption, showing no negative impact on sales from library lending. It generated about $120,000 in additional income for authors in its first year, highlighting the need for potential reforms in Australia’s copyright laws.