Borrowing E-books, but buying Paper Books.

[spindlegirl]

I had wanted to post more about this in other threads (the drm hating thread and the pirate thread etc), but I didn't want to give off the impression that I approve of copyright theft and robbing authors of money. Nor, was the post really fitting with either topic, actually.

I've posted elsewhere that the main reason I bought the T1 is because of the ease of library borrowing. This is not to replace borrowing paper books or buying paper books, but as a convenient accessory to carry on my normal book habits. It's a bonus for me during times when there are physical or transportation issues, to still be able to read what I like and borrow what I like.

One of the reason I largely still buy and own printed books is because it is still legal to share a book around to an infinite amount of people without breaking any laws. Its low-tech and always works.

I have amassed a large enough amount of printed books that loaning one physical book out to a friend is really not a big deal to me, even if that friend keeps the book for weeks, months, or years. Not to mention that while said friend is reading a book of mine, I am likely simultaneously reading a book of his. The end result is that it's really (physical technicality aside) in *experience* no different that when I have put one book down and stuck it on the shelf to read another.

This is one reason why I think that printed books are not going to be on the way out at least not soon. There is so much more legal flexibility with a paper book that just hasn't made it to the e-book world. Even books that I never share with another single soul, my copy is my copy. E-books are difficult to implement the same flexibilities (legally).

This is why I will happily pay $8 for a paperback book, yet will gasp in horror if I am asked to shell out its equivalent in DRM e-book format. But I will happily pay that much for a book at Smashwords if I think I will like it.

[murraypaul]

To tie-in to the genre thread, I buy 'good' books in paperback and 'bad' books in eBook
I'll buy a physical copy of books from authors I respect, and electronic copies of the genre 'trash' I read for relaxation, but probably won't want to read again. I don't think I've ever paid more than $3 for an eBook.

[spindlegirl]

murraypaul, you said it far more succinctly than I did.

I actually have bought paper books which are still entirely legal for me to borrow as many times as I wish in e-book format. Like I said in another thread, I borrowed a copy of "The Robber Bride" from the library multiple times over a ten year period, but still ended up buying it last year, brand new.

The experience of DRM books to me is that they are a loaner. So if it's going to be a loaner, then the logical place to borrow is from the library and the logical price to pay is "free". That way, if my T1 gets lost, I don't give a hoot, because I can still read somewhere else.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

That way, if my T1 gets lost, I don't give a hoot, because I can still read somewhere else.

Wh-what? Lost?? (hyperventilating). Oh no, it's hereYou're safe, - mama's got you...

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

Wh-what? Lost?? (hyperventilating). Oh no, it's hereYou're safe, - mama's got you...

Hehe, true that. I'd be upset that my e-reader got lost, stolen, or damaged, but yay, my books are all safe and sound still :-)

[fantasyfan]

Since I don't live in a large population area, it is impossible for me to borrow e-books from the library. Thus I find the opposite case to be true. I can easily amass a quite large personal e-book library in electronic form via Amazon and iBooks but if I want a book that is difficult to get from those sources, I can usually borrow it from our local library or get it on an inter-library loan or―as a last resort―buy it from ABE. So while it would be wonderful to be able to borrow e-books from libraries, I think it is still a convenience restricted to fairly large population areas.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

Since I don't live in a large population area, it is impossible for me to borrow e-books from the library. Thus I find the opposite case to be true. I can easily amass a quite large personal e-book library in electronic form via Amazon and iBooks but if I want a book that is difficult to get from those sources, I can usually borrow it from our local library or get it on an inter-library loan or―as a last resort―buy it from ABE. So while it would be wonderful to be able to borrow e-books from libraries, I think it is still a convenience restricted to fairly large population areas.

I don't quite understand this - aren't you able to borrow via the internet? If I want to borrow a print book, I have to go to my local library (which is only a couple of miles away, but still, couldn't do it if I were housebound) and take it out, or if it's not there, request an inter-library loan and repeat the same procedure. If I want to borrow an ebook, I go to my PC, log in to the library service (which services the entire county, not just my local tiny library), and download a book.

[fantasyfan]

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

I don't quite understand this - aren't you able to borrow via the internet? If I want to borrow a print book, I have to go to my local library (which is only a couple of miles away, but still, couldn't do it if I were housebound) and take it out, or if it's not there, request an inter-library loan and repeat the same procedure. If I want to borrow an ebook, I go to my PC, log in to the library service (which services the entire county, not just my local tiny library), and download a book.

This is a service I didn't realise even existed! It sounds like a great idea!

When I asked the librarian at our local public library about borrowing e-books, she told me that one could borrow books from the library in Dublin via the internet through the library service there. But she said that this was not possible in our locality because our population density was too low to make its provision worthwhile.

I have a feeling that we don't have the wonderful service you describe on a national basis as surely our librarian would have heard about it. It's worth my checking it out though.

Thanks for explaining it to me.

I prefer to borrow any book that I expect to read only once (yes book publishers nightmare I am ). I would prefer to borrow ebooks, but that choice is most often governed by what format is available to me. That means I mainly borrow paper books at this time.

If it is a book that particularly appeals to me, and I think that I will want to read it more than once, then I will purchase it. The same preference considerations as for borrowing a book apply, except that any book with graphics I will always go for the paper book.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

I don't quite understand this - aren't you able to borrow via the internet? If I want to borrow a print book, I have to go to my local library (which is only a couple of miles away, but still, couldn't do it if I were housebound) and take it out, or if it's not there, request an inter-library loan and repeat the same procedure. If I want to borrow an ebook, I go to my PC, log in to the library service (which services the entire county, not just my local tiny library), and download a book.

I'd like to know about this service which you make sound very accessible in the UK - 'cos you can't borrow physbooks from a library you aren't a member of, which usually requires residency qualifications to join. There are a very few that don't, I believe.
And you then also can't borrow an ebook from "your" library if it does not have a digital collection and facilities.
So you cannot use the library as you describe, unless you're lucky enough to live in an area that has a digital service.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

This is a service I didn't realise even existed! It sounds like a great idea!

It is - it's fab! Whenever I fancy a new book, I just go online, and 2 mins later, I'm reading!

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

When I asked the librarian at our local public library about borrowing e-books, she told me that one could borrow books from the library in Dublin via the internet through the library service there. But she said that this was not possible in our locality because our population density was too low to make its provision worthwhile. I have a feeling that we don't have the wonderful service you describe on a national basis as surely our librarian would have heard about it. It's worth my checking it out though.

Population density shouldn't matter (whereabouts are you, actually?). AFAIK the Irish libraries work the same way as the UK ones; it's not individual libraries that lend out the ebooks, it's a centralised system for each district - Hampshire, Oxfordshire, London, etc. Had a quick look round online, and this seems to be the case - I found a list but it only mentioned Dublin, Kildare and Waterford. However, it was pretty old, so it's worth asking - staff in any public institution often don't get told things! According to this, there are 31 libraries offering ebooks
http://www.irishpublishingnews.com/2...nential-scale/

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

Thanks for explaining it to me.

Glad to help!

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I'd like to know about this service which you make sound very accessible in the UK - 'cos you can't borrow physbooks from a library you aren't a member of, which usually requires residency qualifications to join. There are a very few that don't, I believe.
And you then also can't borrow an ebook from "your" library if it does not have a digital collection and facilities.
So you cannot use the library as you describe, unless you're lucky enough to live in an area that has a digital service.

Here you go - there's a list kindly provided by another MR user.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ight=libraries

Yes, it's quite true that not all of them have signed up, and that few of them will allow you to be a member if you're not living in the area, but it's worth asking! Plus, as you mention, some libraries don't have geographic restictions - one of the posts in that thread mentiond some. And yes, not all libraries have signed up to provide ebooks, but the last time I looked it up, around 60-odd had (they're not all listed on the thread above), and as I said, most of them cover districts, not individual libraries, so that's a good proportion of the UK system covered.

There's a useful article in Computeractive about this http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/n...-ebook-library