Quote:
Originally Posted by DiapDealer
Actually, I think it's an excellent idea. But instead charging for longer checkout times, I say you get charged if you choose to rely on the ungraceful, "automatic" return. You can avoid that fee by properly "returning" the ebook when you're done with it--however many mouse clicks that might entail. 
That may encourage early returns as well as generate a tiny amount of revenue.
I'm not sure about charging for each subsequent checkout after X number of ebooks checked out per year. What about a general limit? X number of ebooks per year is all you're allowed to check out. After that, donations are accepted to negate that limit.
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Why shoehorn ebooks into archaic pbook methodologies?
Try this one on for size, allow for unlimited library downloading while only charging for books that are actually read. The onus would be on the patron to click each book title that they have read and then their account would be charged accordingly. Those who do check out books but do not click as read an algorithmically generated number of times, would be an indicator that they are not contributing to the financial stability of the library and would be put onto a list of dangerous patrons, perhaps placed into a separate but equal ebook system, where you would have to deal with things like holds.