Library Ebook Lending Under Attack

[Sydney's Mom]

The fact I learned is that Overdrive moved the HC books to a special section. I hope my library purchased no HC books this month!

[Anthem]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

We're all in this together and all that.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Uhh didn't the attack on libraries begin almost a month ago? We have a couple of threads on it.

Oh yes way before with some publishers (sorry I don't remember which) refusing to release ebooks to libraries.

[Giggleton]

Well, if you cogitate on what a library actually is, the dissemination of knowledge, then the attack on libraries has been in place since the creation of knowledge. But who would be against knowledge? Against the education of the citizens??????????????

Deletion of an ebook should be thought of as burning an ebook. If you're not doing it for warmth you shouldn't be doing it.

[abookreader]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

When a company (especially a big company) says it's worried for the good of us, and society, and democracy, etc... it means they're worried they've spotted something that they think will cut their profits at some time in the future,

Pretty much.
I get really cynical whenever I read one of these Publishers trying to equate the "Future of Literacy" with "The Future of Our Company."

Do these people honestly think that if the Big 6 Publishing industry crumbles, there will be no more books or stories?

[treadlightly]

I think the statement made by Mr. president of sales for HarperCollins is wrong on (at least) two counts.

"The previous ebook policy would undermine the emerging ebook eco-system, hurt the growing ebook channel..."

How does limiting the number of times an ebook is borrowed do this? All it does is undermine the library's resources because they have to pay more fees. I have bought more ebooks because I have borrowed from the library. Often only a few books in a series were available, I liked them and I bought the rest of the series. I may not have even looked at the series otherwise. Or I discovered an author from borrowing one book and bought many more.

"The previous ebook policy would place additional pressure on physical bookstores"

One might argue that ebooks place pressure on physical bookstores, or libraries place pressure on physical bookstores, but I don't see how their lending policy is related to physical bookstores at all.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by treadlightly

I think the statement made by Mr. president of sales for HarperCollins is wrong on (at least) two counts.


How does limiting the number of times an ebook is borrowed do this? All it does is undermine the library's resources because they have to pay more fees. I have bought more ebooks because I have borrowed from the library. Often only a few books in a series were available, I liked them and I bought the rest of the series. I may not have even looked at the series otherwise. Or I discovered an author from borrowing one book and bought many more.


One might argue that ebooks place pressure on physical bookstores, or libraries place pressure on physical bookstores, but I don't see how their lending policy is related to physical bookstores at all.

The quote should be read as ""The previous ebook policy would undermine our ability to squeeze as much money as humanly possibly out of our existing customer base since we do not and will not innovate (unless forced), hurt the growing ebook channel that we hope will make up for the fact that we are very bad at business..."

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

The quote should be read as ""The previous ebook policy would undermine our ability to squeeze as much money as humanly possibly out of our existing customer base since we do not and will not innovate (unless forced), hurt the growing ebook channel that we hope will make up for the fact that we are very bad at business..."

...hmmm