07-17-2012, 04:52 PM | #16 | |
Wizard
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I believe amazon allow personal lending of ebooks in the US (through Prime?), but apart from that, none of that applies to ebooks. Except the keeping thing. |
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07-17-2012, 05:23 PM | #17 | |
monkey on the fringe
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And why would you buy a paper book, if it's just as easy to borrow it from the library? or does that rule only apply to ebooks? |
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07-17-2012, 05:55 PM | #18 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Well, yes, but the end result of an extra fee is more money for the library to provide services, at least in theory. So one can rationalize its imposition. But the physical visit requirement provides no benefit to the library or the library patron--it definitely is an inconvenience for the patron, and probably for the library too.
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07-17-2012, 05:59 PM | #19 |
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I have a different idea. Make it a condition of copyright that the ebook is made available to the library system and the libraries buy concurrent copies at the retail price. Set the length of the copyright to the length of time a paper copy typically resides in the library. Then we'll see if the publishers still think the average life is only 26 loans (2 years).
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07-17-2012, 06:07 PM | #20 |
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Half-baked, impractical, somewhat daft sound-bites is my knee-jerk reaction.
I agree totally with Xanthe, this would effectively disadvantage those who get the most from our free library system. However, this group would first need to have the means to be equipped for it - which, again, would disadvantage those same members of society. The fact that it is about ebooks already self-limits the numbers likely to use any service. We have to pay for CD's, DVD's, Talking Books, as it is, and I know a number of members who either cannot afford to get them, or can't access them easily. So the digital side would just be another one. A few libraries already have a ereader service - all they have to do is roll it out nationally,and improve it a bit, and perhaps talk to manufacturers for a library-spec device ? As has been mentioned, it would be good to know how many ereaders there would be on any committee etc.... |
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07-17-2012, 06:09 PM | #21 | |
monkey on the fringe
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Actually, requiring a physical visit to checkout ebooks does provide a benefit if it becomes the only model whereby the big publishers will allow their ebooks into the libraries. Regardless, I oppose ebook fees and I oppose requiring physical visits to checkout ebooks. |
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07-17-2012, 06:38 PM | #22 |
K. C. Lee
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I'm all for ebook loan from library if someone can come up with a technology that makes publishers happy and also allow me to check out ebooks from library right from my home.
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07-17-2012, 06:48 PM | #23 |
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I think the concept of requiring a physical visit is related to studies such as this one. It's probably tied in to the UK government's general addiction to form filling, statistics, centrally generated "standards of service" and other bureaucratic wonders. The kind that lead police to classify a stolen laptop as a "loss" rather than a "theft" if the victim didn't actually see it happen, so as to protect their "crime clearance" statistics. Or the kind that lead schools to divert students from harder, but more valuable, GCSE subjects to easier ones to protect their "A to C pass rates".
Of course it still doesn't explain why he thinks it's somehow harder to count web page hits or ebooks borrowed online than physical "footfall", but then he is an MP. |
07-17-2012, 06:58 PM | #24 | |
monkey on the fringe
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07-17-2012, 07:59 PM | #25 | |
Treachery of images ...
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Would the librarians generally support the notion of 'payment' for e lending do you think? We do not pay to belong to our local libraries in Aus, nor do we pay to borrow books, e or otherwise. (The volume of ebooks on offer is ridiculously currently low.) |
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07-17-2012, 08:07 PM | #26 | |
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Here in the US, property taxes generally pay for public libraries and no other fees are charged for using their services. I'm lucky and live in an area with great public library systems and large ebook collections. Because of reciprocal borrowing agreements, I belong to over half a dozen different library systems. If a book's not available at one, it might be at another. |
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07-17-2012, 08:20 PM | #27 | |
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Personally, if my library required a physical visit, I would not check out any books--before e-books I don't think I set foot in the library as often as once a year. If my library required payment for an e-book checkout, I would pay it--it's kind of what I do by having a Philadelphia nonresident library card, and it's a great bargain. But both proposals are monumentally stupid. |
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07-18-2012, 02:38 AM | #28 | |
Wizard
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Bought pbook better than borrowed pbook. Bought ebook no different to borrowed ebook. |
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07-18-2012, 02:42 AM | #29 | |
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Reduced footfall would make the library buildings less useful, and maybe reduce the number of librarians required. I should maybe add that I am already able to borrow ebooks from my local library. Presumably this is about trying to increase the range of books available. |
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07-18-2012, 02:52 AM | #30 | |
monkey on the fringe
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When I read a book, chances are I'll never read it again. So bought ebooks have a decided advantage, because they won't clutter your house like bought paper books would. |
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