Penguin ends library/Overdrive relationship starting tomorrow

[CyGuy]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

The thing is, I doubt I will ever spend as much as I did in the years when I was building up my "foundational" collection. If I have amassed a collection of over 300 favorite paperbacks sitting in my house, why would I bother buying a bookshelf and storing them if I didn't plan to use them again? we're just one household, not a multinational corporation.

Same. I have spent so much money on physics books and sci-fi books, and I read many of them over and over.

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

Much like if one year I am buying a dozen sweaters for myself, I don't need to buy that many for myself the next year, if any. I have clothes.

Can't have too many sweaters in Antarctica I'm sure!

[Sydney's Mom]

I had a friend who I used to go book shopping with. When I commented on the number of books she was buying (she was a very good friend) she said "Book buying and book reading are separate hobbies." Truer words were never spoken.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by Joykins

http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblin...our-seed-corn/

Always a delight to see someone else's take on one of my longstanding rants.

Ebooks will remain a geek hobby and/or indulgence of the wealthy until children have easy access to them. They can't be "the future of literature" if the people who are just learning to love literature can't read them, nor if the people who love literature but can't afford it much can't use them.

[dkperez]

And frankly, the actions of the publishers over the last year or so has left a really, really bad taste in my mouth. I used to think they were part of the holy grail that delivered books to me. But now, reading a large number of self-published books that are darn good and finding library ebooks and reserved books, I think it will be a long, long time before I ever go into a book store again.

I believe your feeling may be one shared by MANY avid readers (and I don't mean the 10 book per year people)... Given what, in my mind, is clear evidence of malicious and repugnant conduct by the big 6 publishers, I've changed my policy on book buying over the past 6 months.

I"ve been buying books for as long as I can remember, easily having started spending my allowance before I was 10, buying paperbacks that were $.40 or $.50. I've been doing so ever since, but my taste changed to hard covers and my budget increased to at least $2000 per year.

Now I make a conscious effort NOT to buy ANYTHING from publishers that are engaged in the war on libraries (and yes, I DO believe that's exactly what they're doing), and simply put everything on reserve and wait for it to come in. I"d prefer ebooks, but I've been reading paper for over 50 years, and I'll keep right on doing it.

And frankly, I can ABSOLUTELY understand the rise in piracy and believe it to be a DIRECT RESPONSE to the ridiculous policies and prices set by the publishers. Don't want people to pirate books? Make them legitimately so ubiquitous and cost effective that it's NOT WORTH THE EFFORT TO GET ILLEGAL COPIES.

The world is no longer in the 19th century. Ideas of morality are different. Demographics of people that read have changed. I believe the younger the group (30-40 year old's read less than us old farts, 20-30 year old's read less than them, teens read less than 20-year-old's, and pre-teens read for pleasure the least), the less likely they are to read for pleasure. Ebooks are a way to possibly bring in new readers, but these new readers are more comfortable with computers and more familiar with obtaining movies, music, and software from "non-traditional" sources. If ebooks are restricted, they'll get those from the same type of sources...

The publishers can scream all they want, but restricting access, charging obscenely high prices, and implementing draconian anti-piracy schemes didn't work for the movie industry, didn't work for the music industry, hasn't worked for the software industry, and it sure isn't going to work for the book industry.

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by dkperez

And frankly, I can ABSOLUTELY understand the rise in piracy and believe it to be a DIRECT RESPONSE to the ridiculous policies and prices set by the publishers. Don't want people to pirate books? Make them legitimately so ubiquitous and cost effective that it's NOT WORTH THE EFFORT TO GET ILLEGAL COPIES.

(...)

The publishers can scream all they want, but restricting access, charging obscenely high prices, and implementing draconian anti-piracy schemes didn't work for the movie industry, didn't work for the music industry, hasn't worked for the software industry, and it sure isn't going to work for the book industry.

I gave you karma for these paragraphs. Around the time of the SOPA blackouts, I read someone tweeting, "Here is my Anti Piracy plan: I write really good stuff, charge reasonable prices, and people somehow feel strangely compelled to give me money. Go figure".

[CazMar]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

I gave you karma for these paragraphs. Around the time of the SOPA blackouts, I read someone tweeting, "Here is my Anti Piracy plan: I write really good stuff, charge reasonable prices, and people somehow feel strangely compelled to give me money. Go figure".

Yes, I have found so many good and previously unknown authors by buying from smaller publishers who sell non-DRM books at reasonable prices. Penguin can go jump if they think I am going to start (1) only buying P-books because they won't sell any non-Australian authors in ebook format, (2) buying said p-books because I can't get ANY of their books from our local library. I have just blocked their newsfeed from my Facebook page and will also be blocking their emailed newsletter - I have no intention of using any of their books except the 2nd hand ones from the $1 rack at the twice yearly 2nd hand book clearance sale (and that'll really help their profits!)

[calibrated]

Karma is on its way for these two paragraphs:

Originally Posted by dkperez

The world is no longer in the 19th century. Ideas of morality are different. Demographics of people that read have changed. I believe the younger the group (30-40 year old's read less than us old farts, 20-30 year old's read less than them, teens read less than 20-year-old's, and pre-teens read for pleasure the least), the less likely they are to read for pleasure. Ebooks are a way to possibly bring in new readers, but these new readers are more comfortable with computers and more familiar with obtaining movies, music, and software from "non-traditional" sources. If ebooks are restricted, they'll get those from the same type of sources...

The publishers can scream all they want, but restricting access, charging obscenely high prices, and implementing draconian anti-piracy schemes didn't work for the movie industry, didn't work for the music industry, hasn't worked for the software industry, and it sure isn't going to work for the book industry.

Absolutely, utterly, completely true. Well said!

[glendalekid]

Because I don't have a Kindle, I've not paid very much attention to the Kindle format in library e-books. I've just noticed that the Penguin Books in the library I belong to are now downloaded only directly the computer and must be put on a Kindle via USB cord.

So, if this is what Penguin has done with the books already owned/licensed to the libraries, exactly what is this "no more Penguin books to libraries" REALLY all about.

While I do understand perhaps Penguin didn't want Amazon to know who was borrowing which books, it strikes me that if they can do this with the Penguin books already in the Overdrive libraries, they could do it with the others going forward.

Hmmmm??

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by CazMar

Yes, I have found so many good and previously unknown authors by buying from smaller publishers who sell non-DRM books at reasonable prices. Penguin can go jump if they think I am going to start (1) only buying P-books because they won't sell any non-Australian authors in ebook format, (2) buying said p-books because I can't get ANY of their books from our local library. I have just blocked their newsfeed from my Facebook page and will also be blocking their emailed newsletter - I have no intention of using any of their books except the 2nd hand ones from the $1 rack at the twice yearly 2nd hand book clearance sale (and that'll really help their profits!)

I know Smashwords has a reputation for being the ugly stepchild of book publishing, but I am loving the new discoveries I made there. I paid .99 for "The Mill River Recluse." And the price was so good that a recently paid .99 a second time so I could send a copy to a friend of mine. (That is what the policy is in the front cover for if you want to buy one for yourself and send to a friend). I paid more than that for two coffees at Tim's!

I am currently liking it and found out recently that it was one of the indie HITS.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by glendalekid

I've just noticed that the Penguin Books in the library I belong to are now downloaded only directly the computer and must be put on a Kindle via USB cord.

Same here. Guess which books I'll no longer borrow for my Kindle?

I absolutely refuse to borrow books that require me to sideload to my Kindle and I've contacted my library expressing my displeasure over this turn of events.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Same here. Guess which books I'll no longer borrow for my Kindle?

I absolutely refuse to borrow books that require me to sideload to my Kindle and I've contacted my library expressing my displeasure over this turn of events.

I don't understand. You mean if you borrow a Penguin Kindle Version, it will only download to your computer? I think that just encourages removal of DRM. You need to remove DRM to import it into Calibre, and email it to your kindle.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by glendalekid

I've just noticed that the Penguin Books in the library I belong to are now downloaded only directly the computer and must be put on a Kindle via USB cord.

Privacy is not extremely important to me. Still, if I could borrow public library copyrighted eBooks, in Kindle format, without going through an Amazon server, that would be a (slightly) good thing. Non-users of my freeware KinCleaner program would benefit even more from what you describe, since they wouldn't need to delete library return notices.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I don't understand. You mean if you borrow a Penguin Kindle Version, it will only download to your computer? I think that just encourages removal of DRM. You need to remove DRM to import it into Calibre, and email it to your kindle.

To my computer, then to my Kindle via USB. How retro

I ain't doing it ...adios Penguin

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I don't understand. You mean if you borrow a Penguin Kindle Version, it will only download to your computer? I think that just encourages removal of DRM. You need to remove DRM to import it into Calibre, and email it to your kindle.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I don't think they thought that through so well.

ETA: tried doing this with a Kindle book I checked out as a sort of test case. Calibre plugins can't crack it if you download it for USB transfer. You have to download it to Kindle 4 PC for the tool I have; don't know about any other tools. Now I have to go upstairs and get the cord out to put a harlequin romance (I know: not Penguin. I selected the download to computer/USB method of delivery though) on my Kindle grump grump. This is way less convenient than the normal Kindle process and is more comparable to epub--except with epub, YOU CAN REDOWNLOAD your epub from the library if necessary.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Privacy is not extremely important to me. Still, if I could borrow public library copyrighted eBooks, in Kindle format, without going through an Amazon server, that would be a (slightly) good thing.

I like going through Amazon because it means I get wireless transfers.

And I really don't care if Amazon sees my library books. They already see the vast majority of the books I acquire anyway, since most are procured from them. What's a few library books?