The New York Times has launched two new digital publishing programs.  TimesFiles is a new line of subject-based eBooks ca with content from the newspaper’s archives. The media company is working with Vook on these titles.

The second program is a line of short eBooks which will be co-published with the digital startup Byliner. The Times will co-publish up to a dozen “New York Times/Byliner” originals in the next year on subjects including fculture, sports, business, science and health. These titles will be about 10,000 to 20,000 words, written to be read in one sitting.

Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek by Times reporter John Branch, is the first Times/Byliner Original. The piece, which will run in a shorter version as an article, tells the story of skiers caught in an avalanche. It will be available on Monday, December 17 from the leading eBook retailers, as well as from Byliner.com and NYTStore.com for $2.99.

The TimesFiles collection will launch the same day with 25 eBooks available starting at $1.99. Launch titles include: The Rise of Apple, The Fall of the Berlin Wall, George Steinbrenner and the Yankees and The Life and Films of John Hughes.