Are libraries under attack in the UK?

[Bikeridr]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

"This is why (in most western countries) authors get paid ...."

Does the author get paid, or the publisher and then the author, getting a much smaller percentage?

Good question
I have one friend that happens to have one book in the public library.
According to him, he gets an annually paycheck from the library. I never got to ask the value of the mentioned check, but he puts it like this; "The money trickles in.."

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

"This is why (in most western countries) authors get paid ...."

Does the author get paid, or the publisher and then the author, getting a much smaller percentage?

The author gets paid directly. The publisher gets nothing.

[SameOldStory]

Thanks, Harry. The publisher gets the money from the sale of the book to the library and the author gets some for their efforts. I can go along with that.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

Thanks, Harry. The publisher gets the money from the sale of the book to the library and the author gets some for their efforts. I can go along with that.

The Public Lending Right was established when copyright law in the UK changed, and no longer allowed publishers the right to specify that their books couldn't be lent out by libraries. Now libraries have the automatic right to lend out any book, but the PLR payment is intended to compensate the author for this.

[SameOldStory]

I'm afraid that the recent financial problems in the UK are going to have a severe impact on both the reading public and the library systems there.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

I'm afraid that the recent financial problems in the UK are going to have a severe impact on both the reading public and the library systems there.

We'll see. Libraries are funded by local councils. Obviously they, in turn, get a large part of their funding from central government, but they do generally listen to local people when it comes to deciding what they should spend their money on, and people do get upset when libraries close.

[GeoffC]

As libraries close, there seems to be an increase in the use of mobile libraries. We have one, though it no longer stops here, only in the next village - mile and half away.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

As libraries close, there seems to be an increase in the use of mobile libraries. We have one, though it no longer stops here, only in the next village - mile and half away.

Our local library provides internet access to many people who don't have it at home. That's a very valuable service, and I'd be surprised, as a result, to see the library close.