7 ms·

Planet Money did an episode on the "e-Book Wars" between libraries and publishers a week ago: https://www.npr.org/2022/11/09/1135639385/libraries-publishers-ebo

Planet Money did an episode on the "e-Book Wars" between libraries and publishers a week ago: https://www.npr.org/2022/11/09/1135639385/libraries-publishers-ebooks-e-books-macmillan-protest-amazon-bezos https://www.npr.org/2022/11/09/1135639385/libraries-publishe... I learned a few things about digital library books that made me sad: * Publishers only allow a certain number of "rentals" of digital library books, after which the eBook license expires. * Publishers also put an expiration date on the license, so after maybe two years, the eBook license expires even if nobody borrows the book. * Publishers have repeatedly put hard limits on the abilities for libraries to purchase eBook licenses, for example allowing only one copy per library for new releases. * Publishers raised the prices of library eBooks to be far higher than a physical book. A $15 physical book might cost $60 as an eBook to a library.

systemicdanna 4y ago
This is really sad. Artificial constraints on a medium that was supposed to democratize access to information. I am right now in line to borrow the new DeGrasse Tyson’s book and will have to wait for almost 6 weeks for my turn. They have only 3 digital copies available and almost a hundred people waiting ahead of me.
- jeroenhd 4y ago
  The funny thing is that I found a DRM-free copy of the book you mentioned on the internet in less than a minute. PDF or ePub, your pick; probably converted from the same source. Whatever these publishers are trying to do, they're only hurting their honest customers. It's trivial to find popular eBooks online regardless of library licenses and DRM usage yet honest people's lives are made so incredibly difficult for no good reason.
- candiddevmike 4y ago
  Hundred people waiting for a 5-10MB file to become "available". You'll eventually get it, and you might even like it so much that you purchase the physical copy, but that purchase won't happen for months because of some artificial constraint like this.
  - tintor 4y ago
    Well, if they can't wait, they could buy it earlier.
- PubliusMI 4y ago
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
grensley 4y ago
The episode is much more fair to the publishers. They specifically call out the Libby app as the turning point. Once it became super accessible for people to get ebooks through libraries, it started really putting the squeeze on publishers and authors. In the episode they talk about how publishers started seeing the curve go parabolic and were basically forced into panic action to stay solvent. The money disappears on that side of the equation and full time authors are downgraded to working authors, and working authors are pushed out entirely. On the other side though, what they've created is a system of winners and losers. Libraries have limited budgets and have to be choosy about what ebooks they're getting now. So fewer authors get a larger slice of pie. I do think that generally lines up with the demand for books now...but it means that it will be harder for new authors to break through. It's really fascinating to me that, like they point out in the episode, everyone involved (authors, publishers, librarians) are passionate about books and getting people to read. They just need the economics to all work out, and that's where it gets super contrived. Very complex issue and highly recommend the Planet Money episode.
- matwood 4y ago
  Agree with what you said. Some other points, it's not all publishers. The big 4/5 are this way, but there are a ton of publishers who license much more liberally to libraries. Some will sell their entire catalog for a fixed yearly subscription w/o waits and some will even sell parts of the catalog perpetually. It's a win-win since publishers get a nice chunk of money and libraries get much better licensing terms. Another challenge you don't mention is patrons. They want the latest James Patterson novel, and nothing else. The library, smaller publishers, and less known authors don't have the marketing budgets to get patrons interested. There is so much content now that new, independent authors don't often even want money, they just want someone, anyone to read their book. Maybe unpopular opinion, but I think libraries should give up on best sellers or at a minimum embargo them for 12+ months. They'll end up with better terms from the big 4/5, and can be a discovery place for new authors in addition to/rather than Amazon KDP where many end up now. Oh, and I haven't even touched the existential threat from Amazon. They just released their entire music catalog for prime subscribers. There will come a point when they do the same for books.
JTbane 4y ago
Yep, those are some ridiculous restrictions when the library could (and should) just buy a retail copy and lend it out how they wish.

systemicdanna 4y ago

This is really sad. Artificial constraints on a medium that was supposed to democratize access to information. I am right now in line to borrow the new DeGrasse Tyson’s book and will have to wait for almost 6 weeks for my turn. They have only 3 digital copies available and almost a hundred people waiting ahead of me.

jeroenhd 4y ago
The funny thing is that I found a DRM-free copy of the book you mentioned on the internet in less than a minute. PDF or ePub, your pick; probably converted from the same source. Whatever these publishers are trying to do, they're only hurting their honest customers. It's trivial to find popular eBooks online regardless of library licenses and DRM usage yet honest people's lives are made so incredibly difficult for no good reason.
candiddevmike 4y ago
Hundred people waiting for a 5-10MB file to become "available". You'll eventually get it, and you might even like it so much that you purchase the physical copy, but that purchase won't happen for months because of some artificial constraint like this.
- tintor 4y ago
  Well, if they can't wait, they could buy it earlier.
PubliusMI 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

grensley 4y ago

The episode is much more fair to the publishers. They specifically call out the Libby app as the turning point. Once it became super accessible for people to get ebooks through libraries, it started really putting the squeeze on publishers and authors. In the episode they talk about how publishers started seeing the curve go parabolic and were basically forced into panic action to stay solvent. The money disappears on that side of the equation and full time authors are downgraded to working authors, and working authors are pushed out entirely. On the other side though, what they've created is a system of winners and losers. Libraries have limited budgets and have to be choosy about what ebooks they're getting now. So fewer authors get a larger slice of pie. I do think that generally lines up with the demand for books now...but it means that it will be harder for new authors to break through. It's really fascinating to me that, like they point out in the episode, everyone involved (authors, publishers, librarians) are passionate about books and getting people to read. They just need the economics to all work out, and that's where it gets super contrived. Very complex issue and highly recommend the Planet Money episode.

matwood 4y ago
Agree with what you said. Some other points, it's not all publishers. The big 4/5 are this way, but there are a ton of publishers who license much more liberally to libraries. Some will sell their entire catalog for a fixed yearly subscription w/o waits and some will even sell parts of the catalog perpetually. It's a win-win since publishers get a nice chunk of money and libraries get much better licensing terms. Another challenge you don't mention is patrons. They want the latest James Patterson novel, and nothing else. The library, smaller publishers, and less known authors don't have the marketing budgets to get patrons interested. There is so much content now that new, independent authors don't often even want money, they just want someone, anyone to read their book. Maybe unpopular opinion, but I think libraries should give up on best sellers or at a minimum embargo them for 12+ months. They'll end up with better terms from the big 4/5, and can be a discovery place for new authors in addition to/rather than Amazon KDP where many end up now. Oh, and I haven't even touched the existential threat from Amazon. They just released their entire music catalog for prime subscribers. There will come a point when they do the same for books.

JTbane 4y ago

Yep, those are some ridiculous restrictions when the library could (and should) just buy a retail copy and lend it out how they wish.