I didn't read the original post's link because I don't subscribe to WSJ. So this may duplicate what was there.
I got an email today from our local library, and it says four publishers have recently changed their policies - Blackstone Audio, Hachette, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan (the last one is the one I remember seeing in this thread).
Quote:
These policy changes will greatly impact our ability to deliver the digital content you want. There will be fewer copies of many titles, so wait times will be longer.
The higher cost to purchase eBooks and eAudiobooks will stretch our budget and impact our ability to provide the level of service you've come to expect.
|
And they already have a crappy selection, compared to 2 other Cleveland-area libraries I am a member of.
Quote:
|
These changes in purchasing policies will make it impossible for us to provide equal access, because customers who can't afford to pay for eBooks and eAudiobooks will have to wait much longer than customers who can pay for them.
|
I know it's easy to think that those who can't afford eBooks probably can't afford the gadgets to read them with, but I know of programs where every kid in school gets a tablet. And people may receive eBook readers or tablets as gifts from relatives who know they are avid readers.
Quote:
|
Our professional associations and library leaders across the country are speaking out in the hopes of reversing or modifying these policy changes so we can continue to effectively serve you.
|
I'm guessing we're going to have to wait to see if this makes the huge difference the publishers seem to think it will.
I pretty much stopped buying many eBooks after agency pricing went in and effectively doubled what I had previously paid for eBooks. I mostly wait until they go on sale for around $6 or less. Having eBooks in libraries made it easier to stick to my guns. I'll have to see if having to wait longer for any of my favorite authors will change my habits. That's even assuming those books are chosen - since it sounds like the higher costs may lead to fewer books purchased as well as fewer copies of those books.