Empowering Libraries to Lend Out Ebooks | Public Knowledge : Public Knowledge
peter.suber's bookmarks 2021-10-09
Summary:
"The COVID-19 pandemic upended life in March 2020. Almost everything was forced online to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, and libraries were not exempted. When the pandemic hit, many libraries were forced to get creative on how to safely interact with their patrons. Libraries had started to invest in enabling online access to books and other materials before 2020, but the pandemic saw user rates of ebooks soar.
Recently, Sen. Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Eshoo (D-CA) recently sent a letter to the five major publishing companies asking them for information about their ebook licensing practices with regard to libraries. Although the publishers have yet to respond, we are glad to see members of Congress investigating the issue. Ebooks, unlike paper books, are not owned by the libraries; in fact, publishing companies force libraries, and schools, to pay exorbitant fees to allow them to provide ebooks to their patrons.
Instead of being able to purchase an ebook to rent out to patrons, libraries must rent ebooks from the publishing companies. Libraries are forced to rent electronic materials, if they want them as part of their collections for patrons to borrow, and these materials often come with restrictions. The industry’s Big Five publishers have limited the number of times a library can loan out an ebook (most often 26 or 52 loans) and put a “self-destruct timer” on the files that prevents the library from loaning them out again after a certain amount of time. This restriction forces libraries to repurchase items repeatedly — and means libraries must choose whether to renew at the end of a licensing term or take away access to the expired electronic books after the licensing term. And not only do libraries have to keep re-renting the books in their collection, they also have to do it at a cost well above market price. While most consumers don’t pay more than $15 for an ebook, libraries are forced to spend up to $40 for a book that self-destructs. ..."