

Ask HN:  What would happen if public libraries only had ebooks? - amichail

Would such a thing be workable?<p>In particular, copyright issues would require limiting the number of copies of an ebook taken out over the net at any one time.<p>But the convenience of taking out an ebook over the net would probably mean that it would be very hard to find highly sought after ebooks since they will always be taken out.<p>In other words, most people who don't aggressively seek out highly sought out ebooks will never get to take one out.<p>It seems to me that the public library model really does depend on the inconvenience of going to the library and carrying physical books.<p>Update:<p>There's also the issue that many people today go to the library without a specific book in mind and just take out books that they find by chance.  In an ebook library, I suspect that everyone would be searching or browsing hot/top lists, thus making it very hard to find a good ebook that is available without a long waiting list.<p>In other words, not only do public libraries depend on the inconvenience of going to the library and carrying physical books, but also on the inconvenience of finding books that you would like to read.
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synnik
There is yet another problem -- not everyone has internet access. Libraries
provide books to many low income people, including the homeless. This would
take books away from some of the people who need them the most for their own
education. There are also people who simply enjoy reading from books, and for
whom the library is a place of relaxation.

Finally, books are more permanent than e-books, at least today. I can think of
dozens of reasons that pervasive internet access might not be sustainable
long-term. If even one of them comes to pass, where would we be without a
physical source of books?

But to answer your question -- is it workable? Surely, yes, it is.

But... Is it wise? Would it even be popular?

Not a chance.

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ErrantX
The other issue is that some people (like ME :D) love real books.

The Library is like a dark, exciting, unexplored jungle of literature that I
want to discover. That's not an inconvenience - that is a delight! It is what
libraries do best.

E-books are great too obviously - but I can get them online. E-books are easy
(as you say) putting them in libraries makes it less easy so there's little
point IMO.

Also you talk about limiting E-books by how many "copies" can be taken out.
That seems silly IMO because that is the model a library uses due the
limitation of physical copies. Why bother with that limitation with E-books.
If you cant get it at the library then there are probably 101 other places to
download it!

The other major issue you face is what do you "stock" in the library. Only
those books with physical copies? and if not what is the criteria for
inclusion?

I just dont see how it would work out :P

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ScottWhigham
The problem I have - and this sounds silly as I say it but it's how I think -
is why would I go to the library to get an ebook? That brings to mind the
question, "Is it possible to drastically reduced physical library presences in
favor of a National Library online that features ebooks only?" Interesting
question rife wife possibilities, legalities, and fun!

So to answer your question, "No - not today. I don't have an ebook reader and
don't plan on buying one at current prices."

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Adlai
Some libraries have systems where you can put a book (or any other media that
the library has, which they allow to be checked out) on reserve, and you get
notified once it's available. However, that doesn't fix the fact that the
concept of "returning" an ebook is not very well-defined, because of the ease
of copying/cracking digital media.

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amichail
Yes, but you would never find a highly sought out book that is available
without a waiting list.

With physical books, this is possible since there is so much inconvenience
involved in taking them out.

Moreover, in many cases, people don't actually search for books. They just go
to the library and take a book that they find by chance.

When you have a situation in which everyone searches for ebooks all the time,
it becomes very unlikely that you will find a good ebook that is available
without a waiting list.

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Adlai
Physical books are much more expensive to reproduce than an ebook. I don't
think that libraries which stock ebooks will find much success in trying to
control how many copies of their books are "out there" at any time.

I think that they'd either allow members to simply get a copy of the ebook,
or, as mahmud mentioned below, they would only allow access from within the
library, and they'd try and regulate the amount of information you accessed.

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amichail
Ebooks today are not much cheaper than physical books. A library that allows
many concurrent copies to be made of highly sought out books would probably
need to pay a very high price to the publisher.

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mahmud
Libraries already have exclusive digital content, and they usually require you
to sit at an on-premise workstation to work.

