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Originally Posted by tubemonkey
Four of my libraries signed this statement (the only ones in the state to do so); and not coincidentally, the four libraries with the largest ebook collections in the state. That's a good sign and shows a strong commitment by them to increase digital services.
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“They face two major challenges. ...
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I'm going to address a snip backward:
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The second, addressed here, is that the products currently offered by e-content distributors, the middlemen from whom libraries buy ebooks, create a fragmented, disjointed and cumbersome user experience.”
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I chalk that up to growing pains. The technology will fix itself. I applaud their nudge to the providers though.
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The first is that, unlike print books, publishers are not required to sell e-books to libraries – and many do not. This is a complex and evolving issue.
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I suppose the bolded is an accurate assessment. It is hard for me to wrap my head around the disconnect between lending paper and lending bits.
The disconnect being, it is generally not in the interest of the book seller to give away his products, be they paper or bits.
When and why is the interest different? The inescapable conclusion is that the book seller would rarely find a public library in their profit column regardless of the book format. If they had their dithers, they'd be compensated for every read of every book, at the market price.
I know there are exceptions to the above (new authors, etc).
So, fill in the blank: Rob Lister, you are wrong because __________