|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
07-01-2019, 11:50 AM | #1 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 12,177
Karma: 73448616
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Toronto
Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS
|
Why e-books, e-audiobooks could be harder to snag at your local library
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainmen...nges-1.5189591
Quote:
|
|
07-01-2019, 04:23 PM | #2 |
Karma Kameleon
Posts: 2,934
Karma: 26616647
Join Date: Aug 2009
Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn
|
It's the age old battle as to why publishers are forced to sell to libraries. It's also the same discussion on why you can't resell your ebook, or loan it.
Why should "society" pay for access to Oprah's latest book? Clearly there is a long wait because people want to read the book -- NOW. And clearly there aren't enough copies for the most in demand book. But really, you don't even have to GO to a library to check out an ebook or audio book. The only way to keep library lending from become the same thing as putting an ebook on a file sharing site....is to limit the number of copies. If you don't want to wait....go buy yourself a copy. If you are poor -- wait or read something else. |
Advert | |
|
07-01-2019, 05:41 PM | #3 | |||
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,174
Karma: 63764653
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: Kobo Glo HD
|
Quote:
Quote:
I just had a discussion with my librarian. The current system does not work for him/us. Ebooks are just too expensive. I requested an ebook, and he was very hesitant to get it, saying it was just to expensive. In the past, they always honoured my reasonable requests. Instead of the current model, he said he would rather have a per use fee. The nice thing about physical media (books, CDs, DVDs), is if libraries are unhappy with the publisher price, they can order a consumer version (Amazon). Quote:
|
|||
07-01-2019, 06:46 PM | #4 | |
occasional author
Posts: 2,314
Karma: 2064403292
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Wandering God's glorious hills, valleys and plains.
Device: A Franklin BI (before Internet) was the first. I still have it.
|
Quote:
You go into a car dealership, it is about your credit and the payments. A home realtor, it is the same. If you have to have a book, and e-book, an audio-book, you can borrow and get it, but then can you resell after use like a car or a house? Not really. You want it free as a library book. So, wait, you cheapskate! I had a friend. He rented a long time after he was married and had children. He had a good job, but didn't like debt. He is the only man (without an inheritance or a winning lottery ticket) I know who paid cash straight up and bought a house. I pride myself on frugality, but it took me 6 to 7 years to pay for my first house. After that it was easy. If we could transfer (legally) the rights to e-books like a paper-book, life would be better. Now I recognize the difficulty for the authors if their books can be copied and virtually given away to anyone. They will have to find another livelihood. That is a great loss that we have decided must not happen. By the way I remember the efforts by authors to try to claim some of the money from the resale of their used paper books. They were laughed at. Generally, that was considered "a bridge too far." Last edited by frahse; 07-01-2019 at 06:49 PM. |
|
07-01-2019, 06:51 PM | #5 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 12,177
Karma: 73448616
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Toronto
Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS
|
|
Advert | |
|
07-01-2019, 07:58 PM | #6 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,776
Karma: 30081762
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: US
Device: ALL DEVICES ARE STOCK: Kobo Clara, Tolino Shine 2, Sony PRS-T3, T1
|
Surely there are also waiting lists for paper versions of popular books?
|
07-01-2019, 09:07 PM | #7 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 12,177
Karma: 73448616
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Toronto
Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS
|
|
07-01-2019, 09:30 PM | #8 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,086
Karma: 6719822
Join Date: Jul 2012
Device: Palm Pilot M105
|
I would be willing to pay the same price for an ebook as I do for a printed one if the publishers allowed libraries to accept donated ebooks from their patrons or buy them from wherever they wanted to.
|
07-01-2019, 09:48 PM | #9 |
Non-Techy
Posts: 4,454
Karma: 15499273
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: WV---USA
Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders
|
You Can buy an e-book & Gift it to a library.. I have done this. Why cant you?
|
07-02-2019, 08:46 AM | #10 | |
Karma Kameleon
Posts: 2,934
Karma: 26616647
Join Date: Aug 2009
Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn
|
Quote:
Of course publisher's aren't just going to give libraries unfettered access to ebooks. They are in business to SELL ebooks. "But what about the good of society?" I believe that notion is not applicable to: "man, I want to read the latest book, but so do 10,000 other people and now I'm having to wait....meanwhile, there are 10 million books in the library I could read while I wait". But...but...but my TAXES. Well, your tax funded library buys a certain number of books. If you don't approve of the selection, or the number of copies, take it up with your librarian about changing their priorities. Or take it up with the mayor to raise taxes to enable the library to buy more copies of the most in demand books so that you don't have to use your own money to....you know....buy the book you want to read. I want to watch a movie. iTunes has it, but it's $20 to buy and there is no rent option. Oh the injustice! I can't have what I want when I want it. Well, I've never bought such a movie. I've waited for the rental window to appear instead. But SOMETIMES....I really want to see a movie such that I pay $50 for my wife and I to go see it in the theater...plus popcorn and drinks. At the theater they show previews of all the great movies coming up. I think "I'll go see that one....nah, this other one's a renter". Or "I'll wait for it to come to the library and get in line". Life goes on. |
|
07-02-2019, 09:23 AM | #11 | |
Wizard
Posts: 2,609
Karma: 42697471
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Device: iPhone 7+, iPad mini, 2021 iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8"
|
Quote:
My public library has a wish list option, to use for books they haven't purchased yet. It seems that if buying a book to give to the library were an option, it would be stated there. 99% of the time I put a library book on hold, waiting isn't a problem. Our library even gives you the estimated wait time along with how many copies of the book they own. Those few times I wanted a book immediately, I buy it. |
|
07-02-2019, 09:32 AM | #12 | |
Karma Kameleon
Posts: 2,934
Karma: 26616647
Join Date: Aug 2009
Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn
|
Quote:
This really isn't so hard to understand. An ebook is not a physical book. A physical book degrades with use. A physical book is only in one physical location, ever. That location may change, but it's always in one place no matter where that place is. An ebook file is perfect and infinitely copy-able. If I bought a DRM free ebook from Amazon and donated it to my library....that one file could be used to give everyone the ability to read the book...at any time, from any place, forever. All the people, all the time, in all the places. This is untenable. Ergo, license use and DRM to enforce the license. Even without DRM...libraries would still not be free to accept an ebook file and just let anybody "borrow it from the library". |
|
07-02-2019, 09:42 AM | #13 | |
Wizard
Posts: 2,609
Karma: 42697471
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Device: iPhone 7+, iPad mini, 2021 iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8"
|
Quote:
I've no idea of the process a public library uses to buy the digital books they offer. But I'm sure they are not buying them from Amazon in the same way a Kindle customer does. |
|
07-02-2019, 09:43 AM | #14 | ||
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,174
Karma: 63764653
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: Kobo Glo HD
|
Quote:
Quote:
And I have yet to see a wait list of 10,000. My library (which is part of a state consortium of probably 30 towns), has 8500 ebooks. How many of those are in a particular genre, how many for adults? For children? For teens. So let's pick adults. 30 towns * 10,000 people = 300,000 people. So we have 3000 ebooks for 300,000 people. I'm guessing my local library has a lot more than 3000 pbooks sitting on it's shelves wlone. Why don't you think they buy more ebooks? Too expensive and too restrictive. What is needed is a more reasonable model for libraries. Let's not forget why we have copyright in the U.S. If the authors don't want to uphold their end of the agreement, ... |
||
07-02-2019, 09:54 AM | #15 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,609
Karma: 42697471
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Device: iPhone 7+, iPad mini, 2021 iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8"
|
My library lists e-books available like this:
Kindle books - 121,258 OverDrive Books - 118,934 OverDrive Read-along - 487 EPUB Books - 112,204 Open EPUB Books - 4,282 PDF Books - 3,871 Open PDF Books - 90 |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Do E-Books Make It Harder to Remember What You Just Read? | DaleDe | General Discussions | 53 | 12-30-2013 04:38 PM |
Your local library and e-books | forumshrew | General Discussions | 70 | 08-27-2013 09:38 AM |
Do E-Books Make It Harder to Remember What You Just Read? | jocampo | News | 29 | 03-15-2012 09:02 PM |
Kindle 2 and local library | gin_ger | Amazon Kindle | 13 | 02-24-2010 10:16 PM |
My local library is a MESS | Lobolover | Lounge | 21 | 11-30-2008 02:45 PM |