Libraries Can't Meet eBook Demand

[T.D.02809]

Originally Posted by Skydog

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

I am only guessing. I think the suggestion implied those who are able. Those who are not able can continue to have books delivered or if have an ebook participate in receiving books without ever needing to leave their home.

I mostly get my ebooks online from home without attending the library.
I still go when I can to the library as I have stated earlier.
I still go to the bookstore as well as go online @ the bookstore.
I also utilize AMAZON since they are so resourceful.

As there are many people there are many ways to read. By far more options now then at anytime.

[T.D.02809]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

"... real story because that is changing access to information and making knowledge not available to everyone, but only available to those that can pay."

This is well said.

[ucfgrad93]

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.

Agreed, requiring people to go to the library to check out an ebook defeats one of the main advantages of an ebook.

[Hellmark]

One guy I work with also works at a local library, and my girlfriend's grandfather works for a library as well. They've commented on how with ebooks, they've seen library usage increase, for both physical and digital. Lots of people using ebooks for their ease, and if they're not available in ebook form, they get the physical copy from the library.

Problem is, if you could only check out ebooks from the library, you don't even address most of the reasons that the publishers have with ebook library copies. One concern raised by one of the publishers (can't remember which), is that you check out the ebook, then strip the DRM, and you have a free copy of the book with no restrictions. If you check out at the library, that is still possible. Next up, for people who read on their computer, they would more or less be restricted against checking out, since you'd have the library computers being what is needed to check out. Plus, you'd have to have different software or something, because of how Adobe's DRM works. The software right now links the computer checking out to the adobe account, and you're limited to 5 or 6 devices. If you have multiple computers, ereaders, etc you'd plausibly use up those slots. Not only that but if you check out on one computer one time, check out on another the next, that's two slots used up. Not only that, but it isn't exactly user friendly logging out and changing users. Plus if someone forgets to log out, there are problems there (such as people messing with your account, or next person just checking out something under your account, getting their device stuck under your limit in the meanwhile). Not only that, but you have to keep in mind Amazon's DRM, which is totally different, and pretty much not feasible to restrict to only coming from certain locations.

In short, tons of logic issues on this.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by 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.

With paper books, if your library doesn't have it, they can put in a request with their library network and have a copy delivered from a partner library in
under 3 business days (if all copies in the network aren't checked out). With ebooks, that isn't possible.

Also, you seem to be confusing if an item isn't available due to the library not having a copy, and not being available due to being checked out. The quote refers more to the former than the latter.

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

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.

I would love to see people make more use of a library's physical resources, yet libraries also have to keep up with the times. After all, everyone should reap the benefits of technology -- not just the incumbent corporations.

[brontus]

I have access to two libraries. One gives approx wait time and the other doesn't give you any indication.

I've borrowed a good hundred ebooks between the two libraries at this point. And I think three haven't had at least some wait involved. Find it kind of funny that pretty much every title seems to be loaned out at any given time.

[renee0986]

Before I discovered the eBook system was in use at my local library I had not visited the library in 10 years (needless to say being an avid reader I racked up quite the annual book bill). As soon as I discovered that I was able to have access to the library’s eBook system I went out and immediately bought myself a Kobo Vox eReader.

Although I do wish the library had a couple of copies of the eBooks available for lending (as my local library system only appears to have one eBook per title) I am still immensely pleased that I can now borrow books once again without having to find time during my local libraries limited hours to physically get there.

I only wish that the librarian’s had more training when it came to the operation of the system and how it interacts with various eReaders. The little slip of paper I was given with the instructions on how to download and install Overdrive explained nothing about how to return a book early (which makes it difficult to estimate the maximum time, based on the number of patron’s on the waitlist for a book, you would have to wait to borrow the e-version). It was only by accident while trying to clean up my Vox that I discovered when you delete a library book from Overdrive it pops up a message asking if you’d like to delete and return the book or just delete.

Also, it would be more convenient for me (settings wise) if I were able to read these borrowed books in the Kobo application.

As this is a fairly new system I would imagine that it will be streamlined as time goes on. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of selection at my local library when it comes to eBooks but I would imagine with time this will also improve.

Overall I think it’s a great idea and one that could also save space and improve availability and selection over time. For instance to keep things fresh libraries often purge collections of books over time (especially those for reading enjoyment and non-academic purposes) it makes me wonder if 20 years down the road you may not still be able to obtain a eBook version of an old fiction novel that otherwise may have been purged due to lack of popularity.

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

You're making what amounts to a scientific hypothesis.

Yes, it is a hypothesis. Yet there is also good reason to believe that hypothesis. I remember a time when the music industry was facing a similar problem: they had essentially zero digital music sales because they either didn't offer their products for sale that way or they used enormously restrictive DRM. People had a choice: they simply didn't buy it or they pirated it. Then Apple came along with a decent music catalog and much less restrictive DRM and digital sales became a reality. People started buying digital music rather than pirating it.

There are also more theoretical considerations: preventing digital sales or lending doesn't prevent piracy since it only takes one digital copy to start the spread. Having a few thousand extra digital copies (from legitimate sources) doesn't really slow the spread since the network can create that many copies in a matter of hours. However, reducing the number of potential pirates will reduce the spread dramatically since the effects are cumulative. It's a fairly basic math problem actually.

Then you have to think about the nature of piracy itself. It is hard to get into (it is an illicit activity so you can't be too public about it) but it is simple to do once you have the know-how. By presenting people with a legitimate option up front, you make it less likely that they will learn the skills necessary to pirate materials, thus reducing piracy overall.

Those reasons, and others, is why I think that the piracy argument is a red herring.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Skydog

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

And couldn't this be discrimination against home bound handicapped readers?
Apache

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Apache

And couldn't this be discrimination against home bound handicapped readers?
Apache

Thank you.

[AndrewH]

A few pages ago in this thread there were a few mentions of changing the length of the borrow time. Is this currently an option in the OverDrive system? I've never seen an option for it.

[gracie]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

You're making what amounts to a scientific hypothesis. If correct, popular books from publishers that cooperate with Overdrive (Random House) get into the darknet more slowly than do similarly selling books from publishers that decline (Simon & Schuster). Maybe someone with a bit more time than I have could test it.

You're probably right - I suspect I'm phrasing it wrong... I"ll have to go back and rethink whether there's actually a problem or not. And whether or not having books available through libraries is making the problem better or worse. I suspect people much more knowledgeable than me are already thinking about the problem, if there is one.

[gracie]

Originally Posted by Synamon

Have none of you ever put a hold on a library book? I have. Do you think every book you ever wanted was waiting for you in the brick and mortar library? Of course not. All this complaining that the book you want isn't available or that you have to put a hold on it baffles me. That's how libraries have always worked.

Sure. All the time. But, I've been using libraries for 50+ years, and I usually have between 20 and 50 books on reserve, waiting for them to come in. Old fogies like me are used to waiting for stuff...

But, I think that willingness to wait may be less common in some/many of the younger readers brought into an interest in reading by the advent of technology. I'm not sure they'll be willing to forego other sources of materials just as they're comfortable with other sources of software, music, and movies...

[tubemonkey]

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.

I can guarantee that if my library instituted such a policy, I would actively take steps to shut them down. At this point, libraries would be a waste of tax dollars.