QUICK TAKES - April 21, 2009

A major new name has been added to the digital library: J.R.R. Tolkien.

E-versions of the late author’s multimillion-selling “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy were released Monday, with “The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun” planned for next month and other works expected before the end of the year, publisher HarperCollins announced.

Tolkien’s books, like other older works, were published well before the digital age and negotiations for e-rights are often time-consuming. “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Lolita” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” are among the many classics still unavailable.