

Publishers vs. Libraries: An E-Book Tug of War - danso
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/business/for-libraries-and-publishers-an-e-book-tug-of-war.html?src=recg

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wycats
What's missing from this discussion is the impact of reduced book availability
on the poor or middle class.

I grew up without much money, and spent much of my time reading books borrowed
from libraries. If library books were not available, it's unlikely I would
have been able to read much beyond my school textbooks.

If the argument is that print book eventually wear out, forcing libraries to
replace them, then by all means figure out the average number of "lends"
before a library replaces a book, and provide books to libraries with limits
along those lines. I assume that print books last far more than 26 lends.

In the face of radically improved theoretical access to information, changes
to the library model that reduce the availability of books for people of
limited means should be very carefully considered.

And yes, I know that libraries can still purchase and make available print
books, but they have limited budgets. Libraries will be pressured to offer
e-books, and if e-books cost substantially more than print books did per lend,
that will result in a smaller number of available books for the most
disadvantaged.

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danso
Same here. The public library was basically my weekend babysitter and I would
read 2-3 books on an average weekend. It's hard to imagine how that would
happen at a time when public book availability drastically declines without a
corresponding increase in e-book readers for low-income residents.

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stinkytaco
As a librarian I can tell you that the people who loose here are not only
readers, but communities. It's very difficult to explain to a user who wants
title X in e-book format that the publisher doesn't offer it, that we can't
buy certain titles or that availability is limited due to publisher
limitations. They simply see a failure of the library model. Most of these
users will not turn to pirating, they will turn to buying. This is bad for
them, for the library and for the community that relies on and benefits from
that library.

Of course, this will also drive piracy, but to a smaller degree that people
think (most of our e-book users are not technically literate). I do think,
however, that over time as more users find it's difficult to get reasonably
priced content to their readers, they will turn to alternate methods, and
force publishers into a DRM free, reader friendly system. Of course, that,
like music, locks out libraries.

Our only real hope is that publishers can work with authors to come up with a
21st century compensation system that allows for subscription purchasing
(ensuring an ongoing revenue for publishers and unfettered access for library
users) or that more authors bypass publishers all together and make their
material available in a library friendly manner.

~~~
pavel_lishin
> It's very difficult to explain to a user who wants title X in e-book format
> that the publisher doesn't offer it, that we can't buy certain titles or
> that availability is limited due to publisher limitations.

That sentence seems clear enough.

~~~
stinkytaco
To you, perhaps. But not to the old lady who just got a Kindle for Christmas.
Or to the soccer mom who bought her kid a nook thinking she would never have
to buy books for it because you could get everything at the library. Those
people are upset and ultimately it's the library they are upset with because
that's where they expected the service. Publishers are ephemeral, they are big
companies most people don't have direct contact with. The library is a
building that you can vote against next time there's a referendum for a new
building or tax levy hike.

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atucker
I think that publishers which try to make things more inconvenient for readers
so that they sell more books are going to lose in the long run.

If a widespread technology makes things easier and more convenient, and you're
not able to maintain an effective monopoly, then people are going to choose
easy and convenient.

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drumdance
I'm a huge fan of my local library and prefer to use it whenever possible. I'd
happily pay a rental fee of $1-2 per title.

~~~
pavel_lishin
What about the people who can't afford even that?

