Okay you library book hoarders, come in from the cold

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

When one borrows a book from the library or a friend, the honorable thing to do is return it within the agreed upon time frame, convenientor not. If you lose or damage it pay for it, or if this is not possible, let them know so they can replace it and/or keep their records straight.

As Nogle pointed out, if you need the book longer than the lender is willing to lend it then buy it. Someone has to pay for a book and why not the borrower if they don't return it? Keeping something you borrow indefinitely is pretty mean.

Helen

We are mostly talking about ebooks here, which as you well know do not need to be returned, yet they come with a self destruct timer...

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

We are mostly talking about ebooks here, which as you well know do not need to be returned, yet they come with a self destruct timer...

I thought in this thread we were talking about pbooks as there are no fines on ebooks archaic or not. Maybe from reading the first post and your previous post in this thread?

Helen

[owly]

Well at least in Swedish libraries you usually can ask to extend you loan period if you don't finish in time.

Originally Posted by Giggleton

I've always thought late fees on library books were absurd. This just proves that point.

Sometimes I will check out a book and not actually get around to reading it for a week or so, but by the time I'm halfway through it the late fees will start to accrue. Perhaps it is time to do away with these archaic late fees and simply allow people to pay for infinite access. Some access will have to be subsidized, but that's just par for the course.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

I thought in this thread we were talking about pbooks as there are no fines on ebooks archaic or not. Maybe from reading the first post and your previous post in this thread?

Helen

With ebooks there is no hoarding either, everyone can access the book.

library ebooks make themselves unreadable after a set time, which is far worse than the hoarding problem anyway. I mean wasn't the ebook supposed to end this one person at a time book problem??

[Illinifan]

Everyone makes mistakes.

Last Saturday, I returned a pbook to my local library on its due date. On Tuesday, I got an email notifying me that it was overdue and that fines had started accumulating.

I called the circulation desk and the nice young woman on the phone said she'd go check the shelves. She found the book and updated my account and canceled the fine.

All is good.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by owly

Well at least in Swedish libraries you usually can ask to extend you loan period if you don't finish in time.

It's the same in the US. As long as there isn't another patron that has a hold on the same item you want to renew, the renewal will go through. Additionally, many libraries allow you to renew multiple times. If each borrowing period is two-three weeks, this should be more than sufficient time to finish a book.

@Giggleton: Thank Overdrive and publishers who created artificial scarcity on library e-books. This isn't something that librarians really support but their hands are tied. Hopefully, we'll be able to get to a point where public libraries can lend e-books in the same manner as academic libraries (where an academic library pays a [usually academic] publisher for unlimited access to a journal or book and then multiple patron can access the material at the same time). Of course the material will still expire or access may only be limited to a PC as opposed to an e-reader.

[LisaPT]

I'm guilty right now.

Someone is eagerly waiting for a book I have in my possession. It is three days past due and I didn't even open it. No excuses here, I'm just busy and lazy. Maybe I'll get off my behind and return it after dinner. I will also gladly pay my fine. I've kept it out of someone else's hands and my local library rocks. I defiantly like ebooks better.

[Ladyrixx]

I can see that. I can't use any library services right now because I owe them $22. They're going to send it to a collection agency, but after my power bill and groceries, $22 is like my whole week's budget...

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

With ebooks there is no hoarding either, everyone can access the book.

hoard - definition of hoard by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus ...
www.thefreedictionary.com/hoard

A hidden fund or supply stored for future use; a cache. v. hoard·ed, hoard·ing, hoards. v.intr. To gather or accumulate a hoard. v.tr. 1. To accumulate a hoard of.

I believe that a lot of people including myself hoard ebooks. I have more public domain ebooks thaan I could read in a lifetime. And quite a few others.

Originally Posted by Giggleton

library ebooks make themselves unreadable after a set time, which is far worse than the hoarding problem anyway.

Libraries lend books, which implies a set period of time. Banks lend money and want it back with interest even if the loan is not overdue.

Most lending/borrowing transactions work this way among honest individuals. Why pick on libraries and ebooks? Demand the banks give us all the money we want for as long as we want it (I wish) after all aren't most financial transactions electronic these days? Maybe the world should work this way, but it doesn't and in reality couldn't.

Originally Posted by Giggleton

I mean wasn't the ebook supposed to end this one person at a time book problem??

I must have missed this in the news. Many people can read the same book at a time, ebook or pbook. They can each buy a copy, read it side by side, take turns etc. You appear (perhaps I am wrong) to believe that many many people should be able to read the same one-time purchased copy of an ebook at the same time. Not impossible if enough people banded together to pay the author enough money to make it worthwhile to allow this. Maybe $10,000 for a beginning author and $300,000+ for a bestselling author. But to pay an author $9.99 or $99.99 or $999.99 and expect that the book can then be read by anyone at any time seems a might unjust.

Perhaps you don't care if you read more books by currently writing authors and want them to all stop writing as long as you can get all the older books at no cost. Maybe all people who want to get paid for creating or even working should stop as well.

Perhaps you have a plan that enable authors to make what they deserve to make (and currently what they deserve to make is determined by those who want to read their books and do so legitimately). If you do please share it with us.

Helen

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

You appear (perhaps I am wrong) to believe that many many people should be able to read the same one-time purchased copy of an ebook at the same time. Not impossible if enough people banded together to pay the author enough money to make it worthwhile to allow this.

Perhaps you have a plan that enable authors to make what they deserve to make (and currently what they deserve to make is determined by those who want to read their books and do so legitimately). If you do please share it with us.

Helen

Yes, the digital makes copying unnecessary. The plan is simple, every work put into the commercial domain must be made accessible to everyone. Those who like it enough to donate will. If you don't think that this will work it is because you do not think that it will work.

I am not sure why librarians are allowing their hands to be tied, they should simply allow for ebooks to be donated and accessed through their library servers, why involve overdrive or the publishers? Once the book is bought you can do with it what you will.

We probably have a long way to go though, if we see any type of reading as illegitimate.

p.s. interest is not good.