Libraries Can't Meet eBook Demand

[elemenoP]

I often see this erroneous statement "I can't return a library book early." I think the problem is, you can't return a library book *through the library's website.* But if you think about it, there is a technical reason for that. There is no link between your reader and the website. So if they had an option to return the book on the website, how would your reader know that the book had been returned and is no longer available?

I would love to see a cost analysis of library ebooks vs library pbooks. I would think it costs a LOT more to maintain the pbook collection (in addition to the books themselves, you need to pay for staff, bathroom upkeep, building maintenance, etc etc). I would imagine that the ebook collection might have one full-time person maintaining the entire collection. BUT there are also the Overdrive fees to consider, which as I understand have skyrocketed. (and Overdrive is in a nearly monopolistic position to charge whatever fees they want, since #1 they are nearly the only game in town for library lending and #2 libraries have invested a lot in ebook licenses. If they switched to another vendor, I doubt the licenses would transfer over.) Anyway, I would certainly love to see such a cost analysis.

re: library ebooks and piracy: I find it maddening that Penguin cites piracy as their reason to pull library ebooks. Simply making your book available as an ebook (whether that be at a bookstore or library) makes it expedient for pirates to pirate it. Perhaps Penguin found their sales went down because of the legitimate library checkouts, not piracy? (which is scary for publishers, of course.) But it's bad press to say that you're "against libraries" so they had to put another spin on it.

So, it would also be great to see some analysis of ebook sales of publishers who do participate in library lending, vs those who don't. I doubt we'd be able to see those kinds of figures, though!

I also agree with "wait times are just fine." The scary thing (to publishers) about library ebook lending is that it is "frictionless" so the wait time adds a bit of friction. I wouldn't even mind so much if publishers limit the number of copies a library can license, at the cost of REALLY long wait times. Just so long as they continue to participate in library ebook lending!

eP

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

So, it would also be great to see some analysis of ebook sales of publishers who do participate in library lending, vs those who don't. I doubt we'd be able to see those kinds of figures, though!

This would be interesting. I have a list of more than 100 series I would like to read. The ones I actually read are the ones with one or more books in the series available at the library. I fill in the gaps with purchases. I may never get to the series that have no books available at the library, and therefore that publisher gets no business from me.

[Apache]

A Corporation can be a family corporation if all of the stock is held by family members only. A corporation is private if it's stock is not publicly traded. Shareholders are still the only ones who matter.
And yes legally a corporation is considered an person.
Apache

[spindlegirl]

To throw in another anecdotal person here. For me, I grew up with library exposure to books. Every printed book I've bought has been the direct result of me having borrowed it from the library and realizing I personally couldn't live without it. I have a long and abiding deep respect for libraries.

However, I think the publishers making license restrictions on books libraries buy to be absolutely a horrid business model! Why not make it enticing for libraries to buy more and more titles rather than regurgitate the same license for the same title forever and ever?

As for the idea being implemented that a person needs to physically visit the library to borrow an e-book: If such a restriction ever happened with my own local library, I would cancel my library card and with a long, public letter stating why. So far in Halifax, I see a great respect for the needs of the many patrons out there, and if that were to change, well, my 40-year love for libraries would certainly need rethinking.

[T.D.02809]

My library does not include any information about wait time or how many are on the wait list.

[T.D.02809]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

"...

A little over a year ago, my library had about 6,000 e-books. Today it has 30,000 e-books, putting it in the top 5 of so libraries by e-book count. (And it has bought far more licenses than 30,000 - it has dozens of licenses for best-selling books, and often 2-4 licenses for books that were best-sellers in the past). However, considering that the library has 2 million titles overall, 30,000 is still a fairly modest number.

However, they have added these e-books in a year in which their budget was reduced by a certain amount, so I'm pretty impressed that they've made this a priority."

HOLY COW! WOW! AMAZING!
Did I just feel the earth move?
Where is this library?
Is it public?
Is it in USA?
Do you have to be a physical resident of the location of the library?
I may have to seriously think of moving to your 'civilization'!
(all in humor, yet...)
"I agree with you 'm pretty impressed that they've made this a priority."

BTW how did you learn this information? i would enjoy reading this. thx if you can share it.

[T.D.02809]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

"...

I think that the system where you don't have to go into the physical library to borrow the book will seriously reduce public support for libraries.* My modest proposal for any lurking Simon & Schuster executive is to negotiate with Overdrive a requirement that borrowing their eBooks require some sort of physical checkout in a public library building. This would allow them to sell to libraries without losing the patronage of convenience-minded eBook buyers. And with the public continuing to actually go to libraries, it would help maintain taxpayer, and donor, library support."

_____________________
* If you don't believe this, and are an EPUB person, sit with a US Kindle owner as they check out a public library book, and watch how going to Amazon's web site, with its advertising, is part of the process. And Amazon, with its pay-for Prime lending library, directly competes with public libraries."

Steve E. this is a FANTASTIC idea! I still enjoy walking into and sitting down at my local library. I would be willing to support and pay for it to reman open. In my view it is a concrete representation that reading, and so learning or entertainment, are available to any citizen, who chooses to enter.
This is an amazing concept the "somewhat" equalizing of access to libraries. Especially those that also have pcs for use along with music, dvd, VHS, legal references, and on and on.

[T.D.02809]

Originally Posted by gracie

A couple things come to mind about this whole problem...

Publishers have been doing ebooks for several years. Part of their JOB should have been to forecast what would happen as demand increased. A year ago we hit the tipping point. It was OBVIOUS to anyone that looked even a LITTLE that demand go absolutely insane this year. I think the publishers deliberately stuck their collective heads in the sand and decided to ignore the trend. 19th century robber-baron mindset in a 21st century world...

Returning library books... Instead of making the default 21 days for borrowing, why not make the default SEVEN days. The borrower would have to change the period to 21 days. Yeah, a few people would be "inconvenienced" when their book stopped working, but if they routinely aren't able to read a book in a week, they'd learn to change the period. How many thousands of books are sitting there, finished, that haven't been returned?

Supply and demand... This whole thing seems most like prohibition. No liquor, lots of illegal liquor. People want to borrow ebooks. LOTS of people - MILLIONS of new e-readers. If the publishers won't make them available, some of those people will go to the speakeasy for the liquor - er pirate sites for their ebooks... If it's not already rampant, I foresee a huge increase in pirate sites, just like the ones for software, music, and films.

The publisher's refusing to make books available to libraries is fueling a HUGE industry in pirated books. JUST like it did for music and films. You want to minimize piracy, make the product so cost-effective and ubiquitous that it's not WORTH the effort to steal.

Gracie you are one of the reasons I enjoy this site. Along with others here who make great points and share them with us.
I agree that the publishers ignored the reality.
Most likely there was internal arguments that never resolved the issue.
So it may have been the new versus the old with no ending.
Piracy as I understand happened with print paper copies of The Harry Potter books on a huge scale across the globe. Everyone ought to be aware of this by now.

[T.D.02809]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

Some people have mobility/transport/health issues. Would not work.

It may not have occurred to everyone.
This happening now as it is. These same people have issues with the physical structure and printed books.

Complete access and equalization is only an idea.

For the record I am handicapped and acutely aware of obstacles.

[carld]

Requiring patrons to go to the library to check out ebooks would just about eliminate my use of the library. I'm NOT going out in the freezing cold with a foot of snow on the ground to take out a book when I know full well they're perfectly capable of offering it online. I don't think it's a "modest" idea at all. I think it's a terrible one.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by carld

Requiring patrons to go to the library to check out ebooks would just about eliminate my use of the library. I'm NOT going out in the freezing cold with a foot of snow on the ground to take out a book when I know full well they're perfectly capable of offering it online. I don't think it's a "modest" idea at all. I think it's a terrible one.

Yep. Why bother with ebook if I have to go there anyway.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

When libraries buy enough digital copies to meet demand, then it is easier to borrow the book from the library then to buy it. Under such a regime, I think book sales would decline, and fewer publishers would participate with Overdrive. So I'm with the wait-list-OK group.

I think that the system where you don't have to go into the physical library to borrow the book will seriously reduce public support for libraries.* My modest proposal for any lurking Simon & Schuster executive is to negotiate with Overdrive a requirement that borrowing their eBooks require some sort of physical checkout in a public library building. This would allow them to sell to libraries without losing the patronage of convenience-minded eBook buyers. And with the public continuing to actually go to libraries, it would help maintain taxpayer, and donor, library support.

_____________________
* If you don't believe this, and are an EPUB person, sit with a US Kindle owner as they check out a public library book, and watch how going to Amazon's web site, with its advertising, is part of the process. And Amazon, with its pay-for Prime lending library, directly competes with public libraries.

So... taxpayers unable to visit their library would not be allowed to checkout an ebook? What an idiotic suggestion.

[T.D.02809]

Originally Posted by John F

"...
And since so many people seem unaware of being able to return early, at checkout and wherever possible, show a reminder message to return the book when you are done."

John this is another great idea to read here today! Sometimes it is as simple as that. Just remind or point out that the books can be returned early.

[HomeInMyShoes]

“Everything you need and want is there,” she said. “There are unlimited books, and if a library doesn’t have a book, they can get it. . . . Our e-book library is not like that. There is such demand, and we’re struggling to keep up with it.”

I don't really get why this is a problem with e-books as opposed to paper books. Not everything is available in paper at my library. Not everything is availalbe as an e-book at my library. There are huge wait lists for some titles in paper books and some huge wait lists for e-books as well. To me, this isn't really a news headline, it's a fact that maybe some people never knew. The story is that technology hasn't solved problems, it's just changed what potential solutions might be. It's also making new issues when some books won't allow e-lending which is a real story because that is changing access to information and making knowledge not available to everyone, but only available to those that can pay.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Skydog

So... taxpayers unable to visit their library would not be allowed to checkout an ebook? What an idiotic suggestion.

And you could only download eBooks while your library was actually open.
Truly a stupid idea.