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Originally Posted by HarryT
But as we've said, an ebook is NOT a paper book, and treating as though it is one is a business model that simply doesn't work. eBooks don't degrade with repeated use, and it's not economically viable for publishers to sell "books that remain brand new forever" to libraries at the same price as they sell them to individuals. A portion of the library price of a paper book is mandated by the fact that it wears out and has to be replaced.
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Yeap, books wear down and get lost while ebooks don't. My question is: is that really an issue for libraries.
Books seem to fall into different categories. High circulation titles tend to be bought in high volumes. If a copy is damaged beyond repair or is lost, the library probably won't repurchase the damaged or lost copy. That is particularly true for the recent releases, which have a short shelf life anyhow.
At the other extreme are low circulation titles. If a copy is damaged beyond repair or lost, the library probably won't repurchase the damaged or lost copy.
On top of that, there is no guarantee that a library can replace a book that is damaged beyond repair or lost since a limited number of copies are printed in the first place.
Notice how I said damaged beyond repair in both cases. The library certainly has the option to repair damaged books. This ranges from taping torn pages to rebinding the book.
Another option that libraries seem to take is buying books in an appropriate binding. A lot of popular recent releases seem to be purchased as mass-market paperbacks. These certainly wear out rapidly, and are highly susceptible to damage. Genre books that are purchased in low volume, and a small allotment of those popular titles are bought as more durable bindings. I highly doubt that these leave circulation after 26 "reads".
Patron usage is also a factor here. Some patrons sign out books and never read them or simply make limited use of them. Some patrons read books at a slower pace, and may sign it out multiple times for a single read. Of course these factors will influence some types of books more than others. Does this constitute wear, or at least wear to the same degree that the circulation rate suggests?
In a sense, you're right. It is a bit unfair to publishers to sell once and have it used forever. In another sense, you're a bit off base: there are a multitude of factors the influence how long a book can remain in circulation, and there is a huge conflict of interest when it comes down to publishers making that determination.
Maybe libraries and publishers should be working on a multifaceted approach. Recent releases can be lent out, with a fee per circulation and perhaps a fee based upon the number of simultaneously circulating copies. Older books, and less popular titles, will be treated much like print books. Those books are of limited financial interest to publishers, and would have been of no financial interest to publishers after the first publication in the days of print anyhow. Or maybe there are other options. All that I know is that libraries and consumers should be able to reap the same benefits as booksellers and publishers. Technological advance should benefit all parties, not just the parties who have the greatest access to it.