Quote:
Originally Posted by tubemonkey
Because libraries let you borrow them for free*. A private website would charge you for the service...
Oh, and welcome to the group  |
Thanks for the welcome. Paying taxes for services we don't use (or - around here at least - don't even exist) seems a constant everywhere.
I wasn't wondering about commercial websites. My local library service does have a website - but not a mention of ebooks. As far as I can discover, the nearest ebook public library is 50 miles away in Edinburgh, but even online they will only serve Edinburgh residents.
I'm disabled, and while visits to my local library aren't impossible, I've found them rarely worth the trouble. I have a Kobo courtesy of a joint family birthday gift - limited so far to some books bought at the same time. I'm reluctant on principle to pay as much or even more for digital books as for the printed product. An accessible free library website would be a godsend.
I just can't see any reason for geographical restrictions on a digital product that could so easily be online and universal - I'd have thought libraries would be the first to see the advantages of consolidating nationally what seems to be a mixture of geographical gaps and duplicated effort.