03-02-2012, 12:45 PM | #16 |
Interested Bystander
Posts: 3,725
Karma: 19728152
Join Date: Jun 2008
Device: Note 4, Kobo One
|
|
03-02-2012, 01:25 PM | #17 | |
monkey on the fringe
Posts: 45,477
Karma: 158151390
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle Metro
Device: Moto E6, Echo Show
|
Quote:
Buying at inflated prices is worse than not buying at all. All I can say is that if libraries won't boycott Random House over this, then they deserve to be taken to the cleaners; and I hope RH raises its prices even higher. |
|
03-02-2012, 01:35 PM | #18 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,531
Karma: 8059866
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Canada
Device: Kobo H2O / Aura HD / Glo / iPad3
|
Quote:
I personally don't believe that libraries have to lend new fiction books fulfill their purpose. If copyright was shorten to say 14 years then they could lend all the 14 year fiction books they want with no Overdrive required. |
|
03-02-2012, 05:27 PM | #19 |
Are you gonna eat that?
Posts: 1,633
Karma: 23215128
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phillipsburg, NJ
Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG
|
publishers don't give a turkey that its tax money buying these books, they want every red cent they think they're entitled to, decency be damned.
libraries should simply cease doing business with them. if they want to play hardball so be it. if you have your heart set on a random house best seller just wait and pick it up for a dime when/if the library holds a book sale. i'm sure there are plenty of indies and small presses who would give their first born for library shelving. the only way these companies will get it is when they're hit in the wallet and lose their massive revenues brought in from sales to libraries. Last edited by xg4bx; 03-02-2012 at 05:35 PM. |
03-02-2012, 05:40 PM | #20 |
Professional Contrarian
Posts: 2,045
Karma: 3289631
Join Date: Mar 2009
Device: Kindle 4 No Touchie
|
I'm not crazy about the drastic increase in prices, but the actually do have a point -- namely this is a perpetual license to the library. The subsequent responsibility is for RH to honor the license into perpetuity.
I'd also say that it's not really the publisher's problem if citizens can't be bothered to adequately fund public libraries. I would agree that book purchases shouldn't take a significantly higher percentage of library funding than before, but ultimately it's up to the public to fund the libraries, not for commercial vendors to take the hit when we cut library budgets. |
03-02-2012, 05:46 PM | #21 | |
Are you gonna eat that?
Posts: 1,633
Karma: 23215128
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phillipsburg, NJ
Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG
|
Quote:
in defense of the publishers however nobody forced libraries to become the free version of blockbuster and carry video games, cds and dvds. i'm sure that eats up a few bucks that could be used on books. Last edited by xg4bx; 03-02-2012 at 05:48 PM. |
|
03-02-2012, 05:54 PM | #22 |
monkey on the fringe
Posts: 45,477
Karma: 158151390
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle Metro
Device: Moto E6, Echo Show
|
|
03-02-2012, 05:55 PM | #23 | |
Interested Bystander
Posts: 3,725
Karma: 19728152
Join Date: Jun 2008
Device: Note 4, Kobo One
|
Quote:
Somehow I doubt it. |
|
03-02-2012, 06:25 PM | #24 | |
Grand Master of Flowers
Posts: 2,201
Karma: 8389072
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Naptown
Device: Kindle PW, Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)
|
Quote:
If you really want the library to go back to its roots, it should carry only nonfiction, reference, and classics. |
|
03-02-2012, 06:49 PM | #25 |
Are you gonna eat that?
Posts: 1,633
Karma: 23215128
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phillipsburg, NJ
Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG
|
and i think i'd be ok with that. nobody is owed entertainment. why should tax dollars go to keeping someone else amused for a few hours?
|
03-02-2012, 07:01 PM | #26 |
You kids get off my lawn!
Posts: 4,220
Karma: 73492664
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of
|
I don't think that's true in even the simplest terms - the libraries have limited contracts with Overdrive. I don't think they automatically can convert books to a different ebook provider, for example, if their contracts expire. I thought this came up recently with one of the groups switching to IBM's having to sue Overdrive for the right or something like that?
|
03-02-2012, 07:41 PM | #27 |
Zealot
Posts: 118
Karma: 1005064
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Missouri
Device: Cruz e-reader, 2 Kindles and a Kindle DX, Sanza Clip
|
I don't see the problem, if the e-books are too high the library shouldn't buy them. Buy the dead tree version. I mean this is like a no-brainer. I like e-books, but I don't want my taxes financing the greed of these e-book publishers.
But I've always felt the library is for and about books, not CD's, not DVD's, not video tapes...you get the idea. Books and reading pure and simple. |
03-02-2012, 07:54 PM | #28 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,032
Karma: 39379388
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: near Philadelphia USA
Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)
|
Quote:
I've never read this, but I think acquisitions librarians must experience some tension between catering to the public desire to read the latest bestseller and the traditional library mission of building a permanent collection of the best-reviewed books on virtually all subjects. Suppose that the only fiction purchased, by a small town library, consisted of single copies of titles that had won, or been nominated, for any of the many annual awards program existing for both literary and genre fiction. This would build an excellent collection while virtually eliminating overpaying for recent releases. But it would also eliminate a lot of public support for libraries. |
|
03-02-2012, 07:56 PM | #29 |
Guru
Posts: 682
Karma: 6449368
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Arlington, VA
Device: iPad Air2, Fire HD10, Paperwhite, Kobo App
|
I understand and support publishers expecting an increased price for library e-book licenses, but "in perpetuity" seems to have little value/meaning in the normal usage of a typical library. Most of the popular content libraries provide, and which patrons currently use their libraries for, is not needed in perpetuity. Nowadays the major systems will buy 15-20 copies of a NYT bestseller, keep those in circulation for a year, then de-accession the extra copies when demand dwindles and keep a handful in circulation. I can sort of see these prices for an academic/research library, but for "everyday" public library use this seems extortionate to me. As much as I enjoy the e-book experience and would like to see my library provide it, as a taxpayer I will expect libraries to maximize resources and kick Random House to the curb.
And as FizzyWater states, given that Overdrive already appears on the outs with the Big 6, how much "perpetuity" can be expected from these particular licenses? Again, as a taxpayer I should be able to see some transparency in the contracts my library is executing with Overdrive. |
03-02-2012, 08:03 PM | #30 | |
monkey on the fringe
Posts: 45,477
Karma: 158151390
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle Metro
Device: Moto E6, Echo Show
|
Quote:
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Random House comments on Amazon Pricing | Daithi | News | 82 | 05-17-2011 05:53 PM |
Ex-CEO of Random House on ebook pricing and the future of publishing | garygibsonsf | News | 93 | 05-03-2011 08:27 AM |
Random House adopts agency pricing March 1st | Fbone | News | 173 | 03-06-2011 11:25 AM |
iBookstore pricing revealed | Elfwreck | Apple Devices | 5 | 03-29-2010 06:13 PM |
Increase in Sony Connect Library? | DougFNJ | Sony Reader | 21 | 04-07-2007 12:40 PM |