Presentation to EU WG for a plan for culture 2015 2018

1. European Digital Reading Lab

2. IDPF
European Digital Reading Lab
• Non profit organization created in1999
• 387 Members worldwide
– Publishers, services providers, e-retailers, readers
developers, Libraries, educational institutions, government
agencies…
– 19 French members.
• Goal : encourage the global adoption of an
open , interoperable publishing and digital
reading ecosystem accessible to all by
developing and promoting the EPUB format
• 3 main tasks:
– Standards development:
• Building EPUB 3.0 standards under ISO technical
specification standard;
• EDUPUB standard development;
– Interoperability evangelization;
– « open source » tools research and development.

3. Readium Foundation
European Digital Reading Lab
Readium: Technologies for
EPUB3 and the open web
platform.
The Readium foundation (Readium.org) develops technologies to accelerate the
adoption of IDPF defined standards, goals are:
• EPUB Reference display system;
• Open source;
• Stable and compatible;
• Performance;
• Portable.

4. EPUB Rendering illustration
European Digital Reading Lab
• Digital books example using EPUB format
– Educational books
– Illustrated books
• EPUB Benefits: text and graphic quality, search
and dictionaries functions, multiple rendition
display, letter spacing options for dyslexic
people, interactivity…

5. EPUB rendering illustration
European Digital Reading Lab
• EPUB formats will allow creation of guides ( wines,
tourists ) which will be updatable or will integrate
google map equivalent functionality.
• EPUB 3 has all the HTML5 standard
attributes, including JavaScript
language. It is then possible to
write intelligent books.

6. EPUB3 rendering illustration : MATH ML
European Digital Reading Lab
• Math ML library allows mathematical
formulas writing
• Math ML advantages:
– It is possible to create formulas that
can be edited.
– Decreased memory space required
for formulas display.

7. Readium : Freedom– Interoperability - Accessibility
Freedom
European Digital Reading Lab
Interoperability
Accessibility

8. Freedom – Open Source
European Digital Reading Lab
• Readium source code is available to everyone on the social platform Github;
• GitHub is focused on the social aspect of development.
• Readium members companies
provide the community with
their own developments
• ‘Readium SDK’ and ‘Readium
JS’ EDRLab developments will be
shared to the community.
• Readium SDK is modular and
DRM agnostic

9. Accessibility : Technical points
European Digital Reading Lab
– Text to speech/ Media Overlay : a speech synthesis system is included in
the readers allowing blind people to read
– Diagrams description: Speech synthesis system can precisely describe the
diagrams thanks to data representation storage
– Math ML integration : Text to speech function can read the formula which
is not the case when the formula is displayed in a bitmap.
– Customizable rendering: text spacing options for dyslexia and reading
mode for color blind people

10. Interoperability : Readium SDK – Readium JS
EPUB is an interoperable format based on open source technologies:
• IDPF EPUB;
• Readium SDK;
• Readium JS.
Readium is available on these platforms :
• iOS
• Android
• Windows
• Mac OSX
• Web
European Digital Reading Lab

11. Interoperability : LCP DRM
DRM are not interoperable, Readium LCP is the only solution coming
from a foundation and not from a private company.
Some merchants applications are available on several platforms but this
is only intra-operability, not real interoperability
Readium SDK and Readium LCP helps publishers and developers
create a complete reading system. You won’t be a prisoner from any
platform or any merchant anymore.
European Digital Reading Lab

12. The first association goals
• Global objectives:
– Take part in the R&D on tools regarding EPUB standards
– Promote EPUB format and its adoption in Europe among local stakeholders
– Be the representative of IDPF and Readium in Europe and the representative of
European stakeholders to IDPF and Readium.
• First objectives:
– Contribute to Readium SDK developments;
– Implement test and validations programs;
– Contribute to Readium LCP : additional developments, certification,
maintenance;
– Organize the first annual event on EPUB standards and tools in Europe;
– Make an inventory of/ European needs for specifications;
– Coordination with Readium and IDPF for Frankfurt Book Fair;
– Implement a newsletter dedicated to European members
European Digital Reading Lab

13. Readium community in Europe
69
25
14
World Readium members European members French members
36%
20%
35 North America members
25 European members
8 Asian members
1 Israeli member
Important figure:
• 36% of all Readium members are European.
European Digital Reading Lab

14. French Readium members
European Digital Reading Lab

15. The association
• Name : « European Digital Reading Lab »
• Address: 10 rue Alexandre Parodi, 75010 Paris France
• Bylaw status:
– Non profit association created on the 17th July2015
– 5 member categories :
• Founding members;
• Major contributor industrial members;
• Major contributor academic members;
• Adherents members
• Ex-officio members.
European Digital Reading Lab

16. Thecurrent private founding members
European Digital Reading Lab

17. Competencies :
• We are looking for our CTO:
Apply to: Pdanet@hachette-livre.fr
• The team:
– 1 technical director;
– 1 senior developer;
– 1 iOS developer;
– 1 Android developer;
– 1 DRM and tools developer;
– 1 technical evangelist.
European Digital Reading Lab

18. Join EDRLab
Members :
– 500 € HT if turnover < 10 M€ or less than 50 employees company;
– 1000 € HT for the others including public institutions and academic members;
Major contributor members:
Academic:
– 5k€ - 3 years renewable;
Industrial:
– 25k€ - 3 years renewable;
European Digital Reading Lab

19. Any question ?
Thank you
Pierre Danet
Group Chief Digital Innovator at Hachette Livre
Pdanet@hachette-livre.fr
European Digital Reading Lab