Libraries Can't Meet eBook Demand

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by T.D.02809

To me it is embarrassing that this paranoia continues. Does anyone know how the other parts of the world are coping with this and related issues?

In the Netherlands, publishers are trying to persuade the government to ban ebooks from libraries because they are afraid that people will pull them from their reader and then crack the drm. (I actually don't know if there is a library here that does have ebooks. I've been buying books for 15 years. Never saw a library since I started reading only English.)

Additionally, publishers and book stores want the government to pass a law that prohibits an ebook to be cheaper or published earlier than the paper version.

So yeah, they handle it badly, just as they handled everything else related to computers and media badly in the past.

Another fun one: Newspapers want that a tax is placed on internet connections, so the government can use this to support them, because "the internet is killing the newspaper". So what? If it is, then people clearly don't want newspapers anymore. Go away then.

[Laridae]

First time here (thanks for inviting me

There is no way that physically going to a library will, or should, ever be required to check out an eBook; that's just plain silly! That misses whole point of having ebooks in the first place, and eliminates their main advantage.

And as for the split between eBooks and pBooks, this is not an either/or question. Clearly eBooks are the way of the future and their use will gradually increase as eReaders become more widely used, and publishers agree to make them available. But pBooks aren't going to disappear anytime soon, obviously. They will continue to have their place as a traditional alternative long into the future.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Except that Overdrive is for 18-and-up users only, so it doesn't matter if the library's available to them. (I'm sure plenty of parents and probably some libraries ignore this. I have no idea why so many people think it's reasonable to ignore the age limits of the TOS, but not the "no cracking DRM" parts of the TOS.)

So those 18-and-ups are reading the digital versions of the Golden books?! I had no idea there was an age limit.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

So those 18-and-ups are reading the digital versions of the Golden books?! I had no idea there was an age limit.

They're presumably sharing them with their kids. (Again, potentially in violation of the TOS that says "for personal use only," but nobody's ever going to challenge anyone on that for sharing with very small children.) The vast majority of both website and software TOS's say that a person has to enter a legal contract with the site/software company--which is limited, in the US, to people over 18 years of age.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Phogg

On what planet? the one where only major costal metro areas exist?

Sorry Steve, some of us live in real life, not a novel.

This.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Phogg

On what planet? the one where only major costal metro areas exist?

Sorry Steve, some of us live in real life, not a novel.

Mine... oh wait, I live in a major coastal metro area

[vaughnmr]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

This is a Your Mileage may Vary issue, sure, but if the 'cost' of getting Simon & Schuster on board is to force people to go physically to their libraries to check out ebooks, then I know I speak for a lot of people -- and, please, pardon my French -- when I say F*^! Simon & Schuster.

I agree completely, and would fight that tooth and nail. I would rather see a full boycott on S&S to help them "understand" the importance libraries.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

The disabled are covered by homebound library services. As for the poor, there probably are some people living in poverty, on this board, who are obvious exceptions, but the poor disproportionately lack eReaders, and tend to use the library for purposes that require physical presence anyway, such as getting on a computer to apply for a job.

As for the overworked, you have me there. That's an excellent point.

Right now, in the US, the only big publisher that thoroughly cooperates with Overdrive seems to be the biggest, Random House. It's not that I want Random House to start requiring physical presence. It's that anything from Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, etc. would be better than the nothing we have now. I don't want to give them the impression that starting to cooperate a little with Overdrive would give them worse publicity than they now experience staying out.

As I have learned in this thread, publishers already sent up a physical presence trial balloon in October, and got a lot of negative feedback about this being a war on libraries and so forth. And, since then, nothing good has happened in terms of more publishers cooperating with Overdrive.

Problem is, in many many areas, there are no home library services. Some areas, they do have bookmobiles, but they're limited to schools.

As far as the schedule, the libraries near me are open from 9am-5pm. I work 9 to 6, so I generally can't go in. Pretty much everyone I know is at work those house. That leaves Saturday (closed on sundays), as the only time to go in, and they have limited hours then too.

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

So those 18-and-ups are reading the digital versions of the Golden books?! I had no idea there was an age limit.

Uhm, I'm 27, and I recently read the first dozen or so Encyclopedia Brown books, and just read some of the Boxcar Children books.

[astrodad]

Why not just increase the revenue of the libraries so that they can purchase more books? Throw out the DVDs and video games and put in a cafe akin to those in Barnes and Noble. Use the extra funds to buy more books.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by astrodad

Why not just increase the revenue of the libraries so that they can purchase more books? Throw out the DVDs and video games and put in a cafe akin to those in Barnes and Noble. Use the extra funds to buy more books.

I dunno about you, but the libraries here, the only multimedia stuff is documentaries and audiobooks, which I see as having intrinsic educational value.

[astrodad]

Not in my library. They have popular music and movies in DVD and Blu-Ray.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by astrodad

Why not just increase the revenue of the libraries so that they can purchase more books? Throw out the DVDs and video games and put in a cafe akin to those in Barnes and Noble. Use the extra funds to buy more books.

There's no reason to fetishize books. DVDs and popular fiction are both basically leisure time activities - I can't see any reason why a library should carry Tom Clancy but not Steven Spielberg.

Also, if libraries are going to demand $100+ dollars every year in property taxes from every homeowner, they should try to get buy-in from as much of the populace as is compatible with their general mission.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

As far as the schedule, the libraries near me are open from 9am-5pm. I work 9 to 6, so I generally can't go in. Pretty much everyone I know is at work those house. That leaves Saturday (closed on sundays), as the only time to go in, and they have limited hours then too.

That's one reason I love my library. Monday through Thursday they are open until 8PM. Friday and Saturday only until 5PM though. Given it is a small town (pop. 17,000) library, I'm amazed they manage it. I do know that some of the workers are on a volunteer basis though.

Still, even though they are a short drive away, there are days, like today, when I'd love to go over there, but it isn't practical. We've just had a bout of freezing rain and our hill is a total sheet of ice. I have two paper books I've finished and would like to return early since they are both new releases, but there's no way I'd take the risk today. For that matter, the library has announced on Facebook that they are closing early today at 4PM because of the icy road conditions.

I would go to my library to check out an ebook if that is what I had to do, but I would sure hate it in winter. I'm older and I don't want to get out in ice and snow if I don't have to. I've got bad ankles and a bad knee and it's just difficult, even wearing ice grips.

To me the point of ebooks is that you don't have to go to the library to access them once you have a library card. I still will always visit my library in decent weather, because they have paper books when they may not have the ebook version, but I prefer the ebook system to stay as it is, with at home access.

[Kumabjorn]

I'm a little fascinated about the obsession you show about opening hours. My library, in a very small town (pop. <6.000) is open 24/7. We use our library card to gain access when it isn't staffed. That way they know who is there and when. You can check out books on your own, sit and read, make copies, use the bathroom fascilities if so inclined. Maybe something to discuss with your local librarian?

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by astrodad

Not in my library. They have popular music and movies in DVD and Blu-Ray.

My library just purchased their 10,000th movie DVD/BluRay.

They have 4600 music CDs.

1800 Audiobooks.

And now 87 video games. (Mostly donated)

As a side note 80,000 paper books.