11 replies to this topic

[platur]

Many publishers of popular books do not want to sell e-books for libraries. Thus, the library will be missing many popular titles. Right now popular publishers are concerned about profits, and we need to let them know that libraries are the future of our children who will be checking out e-books from their local libraries. By not selling their books to the libraries, the publishers will be missing out on potential readers. Sacramento public library has posted a online petition.

Please sign the petition to help the libraries provide e-book services to the public! Currently the petition has about 6,000 signatures and the goal is 10,000. This petition is not only excluded to California,- surely more people care about the libraries!- so please spread the word about it.

sign and read the petition here.

Edited by platur, 20 May 2012 - 09:55 AM.

[platur]

Sorry, this is a duplicate post. I pressed reply instead of edit.

Edited by platur, 20 May 2012 - 09:54 AM.

[Dragon's Lisp]

Why?

[kaybird]

I fully support this call to action and will sign the petition. Thanks for sharing!

[supermom]

how does electronic books impact the management or success of a library?
How does fighting with punlishers on copyright use become the right of a library?

If you tell me that the publishers do not print those specific books in hard copy-which a library is primarily a repository of public owned hard copies, then I might be inclined to ask the publishers, please.

But I am confuse how you can demand someone make a book free? If the electronic age has become the future then either libraries need to get lawyers and figure out how to comply with the copyright of the books or not expect those books to be made available to them.

When the right to royalty on the electronic form has expired then they can start a library of "free" electronic books, just like movies and music, right?

Ofcoarse people want things for free.

[eVader]

Supermom - I think you are reading too far into this (sorry pun not intended). I don't believe library patrons are petitioning for free ebooks to steal or rip off from publishers. Instead it seems they want publishers to sell books in multiple formats e.g. paperback vs. hard cover vs. Kindle or PDF etc so they can choose how to read it.

I agree books, ebooks or audiobooks should NOT be copied to one's personal collection. Amazon, Apple, B&N and other sellers have added ways to prevent you from sharing or copying licensed works. Sure there may be ways around it for those lacking a moral compass but hopefully they meet the consequences at some point. Libraries I agree should also add encryption and a timebomb when the library user must check the material back in. For audiobooks and possibly some ebooks this may already be in place.

[mac_convert]

I am not an avid reader but from what I understand people can "loan" out a book for a period of time, but the book cannot be copied to another user's account. I think ebooks should be available as that is the way of the future for more and more readers. I'll sign the petition even though it doesn't effect me, but it will my past students who may check out books in this format in the future.

[kaybird]

Supermom, I'm in a Masters of Library Science program right now at San Jose State, so you can imagine this subject has come up once or twice. Libraries are not asking publishers to make the ebooks free. They are asking them not to raise the price of the licensing so astronomically high that libraries can't afford them. The publisher want to charge libraries many times more for e-books than for paper books. I don't have the figures in front of me, but if you are interested I will get them. Once you see the difference in cost, I think you'll understand why this seems like publishers trying to take advantage of libraries. So, when libraries started going public about this issue, publishers began refusing to give them the licenses at all. It seems to me to be a form of blackmail. Publishers know that libraries have patrons that want these ebooks, so they are trying to force them to pay unfair prices.

Supermom - I think you are reading too far into this (sorry pun not intended). I don't believe library patrons are petitioning for free ebooks to steal or rip off from publishers. Instead it seems they want publishers to sell books in multiple formats e.g. paperback vs. hard cover vs. Kindle or PDF etc so they can choose how to read it.

I agree books, ebooks or audiobooks should NOT be copied to one's personal collection. Amazon, Apple, B&N and other sellers have added ways to prevent you from sharing or copying licensed works. Sure there may be ways around it for those lacking a moral compass but hopefully they meet the consequences at some point. Libraries I agree should also add encryption and a timebomb when the library user must check the material back in. For audiobooks and possibly some ebooks this may already be in place.

That's exactly how it works, eVader. When you borrow an e-book, you get it for two or three weeks. When the time elapses, you are no longer able to access it on your e-reader. For anyone interested, both the Folsom and Sacramento libraries offer e-books. Give 'em a try!

[supermom]

Thanks for the replies. Very interesting. would this fall under unfair trade commissions?

[kaybird]

Thanks for the replies. Very interesting. would this fall under unfair trade commissions?

Hmm... good question. I'm sure the American Library Association have their lawyers on it. Let me know if you want to read more about the issue. I'd be happy to find you some articles to read.

[supermom]

Hmm... good question. I'm sure the American Library Association have their lawyers on it. Let me know if you want to read more about the issue. I'd be happy to find you some articles to read.

oh, you have peaked my interest!

Would you believe me if I said I used to want to be a librarian?

Particularly in research or archived section of a library. I do so love the smell of history.

[platur]

There are ways to prevent pirating, not full-proof, but to make it difficult enough so that the casual reader would not be tempted to steal a book. Publishers are concerned that it would be too easy to borrow books. Instead of having to physically check out books, people can easily transfer books over the web, right? Not the case- I have recently tried out the borrowing system.

- A usb connector is required to check out and in books every time instead of a wireless transfer- put in place by publishers to purposely make it harder.

- The waiting list takes forever, especially since people don't have the time to connect the usb port in and check the book back in, thus just leave the book there to expire. I was the second person on the waitlist for two books, and it took me about a month to get them. I'm also #50 and up on a few other books and I probably won't get them for a few years, and then miss the 3 day window I have to check it out before it goes to the next person on the list.

- There is a limit on how many books can be checked out at a time- 3 books at a time for Folsom.

- There is a limit on the waiting list- about 6 books at a time for Folsom.

- Books are unaccessible after the expiration date

- Certain formats require a special software download first

Some publishers are also limiting the amout of check-outs a library can have before its license expires to compensate for the wear and tear of physical books. Overall, it's convenience matches up to borrowing physical book. I'll still buy the books that I treasure and want to read over and over again, but I would like the chance to try it out on a borrowed e-book first.

From what I've heard, most people with e-readers don't use the library for most of their reading and tend to purchase more, and I've also heard that most library patrons make up a large amount of book purchases. It is a great advantage to have a variety of formats, ie. audio books for the visually impared. I don't know too much about the politics of it, but I'm thinking of how the increase of e-readers will impact the next generation. E-readers are becoming cheap enough to narrow the digital divide. People who can't afford to buy every single book they want to read can have the opportunity to choose the format they want to read it in. I loved the library as a child. My parents would not have bought the 200+ books that I've checked out over the years as a child. I was lucky that I had a library near by. Without one, I would have never gotten the opportunity to emerse myself in books and the love of reading.