library ebook prices

[John F]

I had an interesting email from my local (small) library. I requested 2 ebooks: The Drop by Dennis Lehane and Prince Lestat by Anne Rice. The Drop cost the library $15 (they added it) and Prince Lestat would have cost $85 (they didn't add it). I also requested The Burning Room (a week ago) and that was $85 (they added it).

This is in the U.S.

[TimW]

Originally Posted by John F

I had an interesting email from my local (small) library. I requested 2 ebooks: The Drop by Dennis Lehane and Prince Lestat by Anne Rice. The Drop cost the library $15 (they added it) and Prince Lestat would have cost $85 (they didn't add it). I also requested The Burning Room (a week ago) and that was $85 (they added it).

This is in the U.S.

The first one is a HarperCollins book and although $15 seems reasonable, I believe it has a 26 lend limitation and then it has to be repurchased. Random House and Hachette books are pricier upfront but I don't believe there is a lend limitation. I've heard of some Random House books costing over $100.

[leaston]

How do these prices compare to a pbook for the library?

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by TimW

The first one is a HarperCollins book and although $15 seems reasonable, I believe it has a 26 lend limitation and then it has to be repurchased. Random House and Hachette books are pricier upfront but I don't believe there is a lend limitation. I've heard of some Random House books costing over $100.

Depending on a book's popularity it's difficult to determine which deal is better.

$15 for 26 borrows equals at least 130 total borrows for $75 ($15 x 5).

The $85 title would need over 130 borrows to be as price efficient as the $15 one. This could take up to 5 years to work itself out.

If neither title is popular, then paying $15 was the better option.

[bfisher]

The ebook prices aren't too bad, when you consider the costs of a pbook to the library beyond the purchase price - the handling costs for receiving the pbook (cataloging and installing anti-theft devices), the ongoing costs for administering borrowings and returns, housing the book, the costs of physical transport between branches in a multi-branch system, the costs of maintaining an open-shelf system, etc.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by bfisher

The ebook prices aren't too bad, when you consider the costs of a pbook . . . etc.

Yes.

One etc is the cost of the cost of the library building.

According to this, the assessed value of one library with about 160,000 books is US$6.4 million:

http://www.belmont.lib.ma.us/build-a-new-library

That comes to $40 for each p-book.

Now, I know that not all physical library space is for books -- they probably have a community room. So say $30 for the building itself. But then there are so many other costs.

If I was on the library board, I might hesitate to often pay $85 for an eBook, but paying double the paper book price is probably a good deal.

[gweeks]

Originally Posted by bfisher

The ebook prices aren't too bad, when you consider the costs of a pbook to the library beyond the purchase price - the handling costs for receiving the pbook (cataloging and installing anti-theft devices), the ongoing costs for administering borrowings and returns, housing the book, the costs of physical transport between branches in a multi-branch system, the costs of maintaining an open-shelf system, etc.

Except they have to pay for most of that still. It's a fee paid to overdrive rather than an internal expense now.

Greg