4 ms·

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that basically what Archive.org has been doing for years? More resources and attention are always great, but I'm not sure th

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that basically what Archive.org has been doing for years? More resources and attention are always great, but I'm not sure this is exactly novel.

eatonphil 5y ago
I thought Archive.org only stores public domain stuff. Libraries normally have both historic and modern books. For example, I see "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" on BPL's ebook list. But I can't find that book on Archive.org.
- ZeroGravitas 5y ago
  Archive.org has OpenLibrary.org as a sibling organisation. It's a "proper" library so you can check things out. I'm not sure exactly how it works, in legal terms, but it's great for obscure books. It also has Diary of a Wimpy Kid available to borrow digitally: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL8483260W/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid https://openlibrary.org/works/OL8483260W/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Ki...
  - eatonphil 5y ago
    Neat! I am not familiar with openlibrary.org. In any case that doesn't change my opinion that every US library making their ebooks available to anyone in the US would be making an excellent use of their funding.
  - dontcare007 5y ago
    Wow, I did NOT know about OpenLibrary! Thx!
  - cato_the_elder 5y ago
    Based. I didn't know about that. And Wikipedia says Aaron Swartz <3 of the co-creators: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Library https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Library
  - sangnoir 5y ago
    > I'm not sure exactly how it works, in legal terms, but it's great for obscure books. Does it pay the rights holders (and authors) like other libraries? The Brooklyn library likely does. IIRC, archive.org clashed with authors during lockdown around it’s lending practices, I don’t know if that has been resolved. I’m against excessive IP exploitation, but I’m for authors getting paid.
    - robonerd 5y ago
      Libraries don't necessarily pay rights holders or authors. They buy books like anybody else, which means they sometimes buy books on the second hand market. And there's nothing wrong with that.
      - sangnoir 5y ago
        Unlike physical books, the First sale doctrine doesn't apply to e-book licenses. Typically, the license expires after a couple of reads, and the rights holders has a say on how many times a copy may be lent out, and how many copies can be borrowed simultaneously using DRM - which means they can set the average price paid each time an e-book is borrowed. I listened to a fascinating podcast on the history of Overdrive / Libby a few months back; might have been produced by NPR, but I sadly can't find it.
        MinorTom 5y ago
        You're absolutely right, which is why the IA buys physical books, scans them, and makes them available online under so-called "Controlled Digital Lending". Renting out one digital copy at a time is covered by fair use, they argue, although it hasn't been tested in court.* * That is expected as a part of the publishers lawsuit against the "National Emergency Library" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_digital_lending https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_digital_lending https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive#National_Emergency_Library https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive#National_Emer...
        5y ago

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that basically what Archive.org has been doing for years? More resources and attention are always great, but I'm not sure this is exactly novel.

eatonphil 5y ago

I thought Archive.org only stores public domain stuff. Libraries normally have both historic and modern books. For example, I see "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" on BPL's ebook list. But I can't find that book on Archive.org.

ZeroGravitas 5y ago
Archive.org has OpenLibrary.org as a sibling organisation. It's a "proper" library so you can check things out. I'm not sure exactly how it works, in legal terms, but it's great for obscure books. It also has Diary of a Wimpy Kid available to borrow digitally: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL8483260W/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid https://openlibrary.org/works/OL8483260W/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Ki...
- eatonphil 5y ago
  Neat! I am not familiar with openlibrary.org. In any case that doesn't change my opinion that every US library making their ebooks available to anyone in the US would be making an excellent use of their funding.
- dontcare007 5y ago
  Wow, I did NOT know about OpenLibrary! Thx!
- cato_the_elder 5y ago
  Based. I didn't know about that. And Wikipedia says Aaron Swartz <3 of the co-creators: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Library https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Library
- sangnoir 5y ago
  > I'm not sure exactly how it works, in legal terms, but it's great for obscure books. Does it pay the rights holders (and authors) like other libraries? The Brooklyn library likely does. IIRC, archive.org clashed with authors during lockdown around it’s lending practices, I don’t know if that has been resolved. I’m against excessive IP exploitation, but I’m for authors getting paid.
  - robonerd 5y ago
    Libraries don't necessarily pay rights holders or authors. They buy books like anybody else, which means they sometimes buy books on the second hand market. And there's nothing wrong with that.
    - sangnoir 5y ago
      Unlike physical books, the First sale doctrine doesn't apply to e-book licenses. Typically, the license expires after a couple of reads, and the rights holders has a say on how many times a copy may be lent out, and how many copies can be borrowed simultaneously using DRM - which means they can set the average price paid each time an e-book is borrowed. I listened to a fascinating podcast on the history of Overdrive / Libby a few months back; might have been produced by NPR, but I sadly can't find it.
      - MinorTom 5y ago
        You're absolutely right, which is why the IA buys physical books, scans them, and makes them available online under so-called "Controlled Digital Lending". Renting out one digital copy at a time is covered by fair use, they argue, although it hasn't been tested in court.* * That is expected as a part of the publishers lawsuit against the "National Emergency Library" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_digital_lending https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_digital_lending https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive#National_Emergency_Library https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive#National_Emer...
        5y ago