Illinois library contest aimed at changing e-book policies

[pidgeon92]

From the Chicago Tribune:

The Soon to be Famous Illinois Author project will choose a self-published Illinois author's work for a year of book talks, author events and other promotions in Illinois public libraries.

In addition to bringing acclaim to one writer laboring in obscurity, librarians hope to make the country's top publishers take notice of their power to be literary tastemakers by connecting books with readers. It's part of an effort to nudge top publishers to change prices and policies on selling e-books to libraries, practices that librarians say limit the ability to borrow.

"The real challenge is for librarians to help the reader understand why publishers are charging so much more for e-books," said Maureen Sullivan, past president of the American Library Association. "They are in a mode where they're exploring and experimenting with access."

The Hinsdale Public Library, which has an average monthly circulation of 500 to 600 e-books and downloadable audio books, features a chart on its website explaining to patrons why they may not be able to download the e-books they want.

Suburban librarians say e-book traffic is doubling, sometimes tripling, from year to year.

[fjtorres]

Wait until Konrath's library distribution venture kicks off.

[Sydney's Mom]

Thanks! This is my library system. I will make sure to patronize the program. I also think the ability to buy the book with a portion going to the library is a great idea. I would be willing to pay more than I do on Amazon, so long as the excess goes to my library for ebooks.

One of the major fundraisers for my library is the annual used book sale. If the first sale doctrine is ever applied to ebooks, the library will benefit immensely. I would make available all the books marked as read in Calibre (of course deleting them).

[speakingtohe]

Perhaps they haven't read this item.

http://botheyes.wordpress.com/2009/1...t-the-library/

How Much Do I Cost the Library?
November 9, 2009 at 3:18 pm | Posted in Book Blather, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Last week we were exploring budget cuts for my county library system. I wondered how much it costs for me to check out one item. A little research shocked me out of my shoes.

My library’s budget this year is $16.6 million. Circulation statistics are about 3.6 million. That works out to $4.60 per item. (Factoring in labor, real estate, utilities, and all). [Looking back, I had estimated $3.75, much closer than I would have figured].

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Perhaps they haven't read this item.

http://botheyes.wordpress.com/2009/1...t-the-library/

Thanks for that but it's more about how much is does the library cost on average, not the marginal/incremental cost

If you renew a book, does it bump the circulation ?

My library has automated checkout & return so the only extra cost of an additional book loan is reshelving.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Perhaps they haven't read this item.

http://botheyes.wordpress.com/2009/1...t-the-library/

They seem to have completely missed the point that libraries do a lot more than circulate borrowables.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Thanks for that but it's more about how much is does the library cost on average, not the marginal/incremental cost

If you renew a book, does it bump the circulation ?

My library has automated checkout & return so the only extra cost of an additional book loan is reshelving.

I think so, but don't know. But most of the cost of any physical loan is housing, utilities staff costs etc. The average costs for the materials themselves is very small. With ebooks the main cost is the material and is still generally under the $1 per circulation range even with hosting and DRM fees. Some ebooks cost more per circulation, but the average is possibly much less.

Helen

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by meeera

They seem to have completely missed the point that libraries do a lot more than circulate borrowables.

Many do. Many don't. The North Vancouver city library does not have room even though it is a new building (just finished last year) and twice the size of the older one.

Helen

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by meeera

They seem to have completely missed the point that libraries do a lot more than circulate borrowables.

In my old neighborhood the libraries have professional-grade conference rooms that can be reserved by local businesses or non-profits. They also offered adult education classes and loaned out cds, videos, and audiobooks. And they were very early Overdrive partners/customers.

Good libraries do more than just house pbooks.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

If the first sale doctrine is ever applied to ebooks, the library will benefit immensely.

Maybe with fiction. But libraries are mostly non-fiction.

In my opinion, libraries would be harmed because the economic damage to publishers would mean lower advances, with fewer non-fiction book proposals being accepted. So a lot of good books they would have wanted to buy will never have been written.

First sale doctrine works economically because a used paper book is of lower physical quality than a new one. Because of that, the used price provides a floor publishers can price new books above. By contrast, a used eBook market would push the new price all the way down to the used price, since there would be no new/used difference in quality.

In my opinion, the US Supreme Court is not going to apply first sale to eBooks because a number of the justices are non-fiction authors, and it would hurt their income. Most people find a way to reconcile their financial interest with principles, and the justices are human.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by meeera

They seem to have completely missed the point that libraries do a lot more than circulate borrowables.

I have no idea what my libraries offer anymore, because I no longer go inside.

[pendragginp]

[QUOTE=SteveEisenberg;2727900]Maybe with fiction. But libraries are mostly non-fiction. QUOTE]

Not the library I work at, or any of the other libraries in the area, with the exception of the university.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by pendragginp

Not the library I work at, or any of the other libraries in the area, with the exception of the university.

I guess it's the old YMMV, although there is always the possibility of my being completely wrong

According to this abstract, small libraries have relatively more fiction. So if your stated public profile location ("The End Of The Earth") is meant literally, this could explain it. The main Philadelphia library only has a one side of one balcanied grand room for fiction, neatly fitting the big-library-bigger-for-non-fiction thesis.

Something else that could explain it is eBook vs. paper. Overdrive collections do seem to have more fiction. Maybe this is another example of smaller collections leaning towards fiction.

[fjtorres]

It could also be a sign of age or organizational inertia, with some libraries putting resources into fiction as demand for pbook reference works fades in the age of digitization and online references.
The library system I referenced above has been replacing its old buildings with new ones and in the process they purged a lot of reference material to make room for internet access stations, classrooms, and conference rooms.

The very definition of what a library is has been in flux in many areas. From my personal knowledge, in the great lakes region for sure.

[jersysman]

The main library in Philadelphia does cater to more non-fiction works; however, the various branches have more fiction. That is what I have found.