Publishers Worry As Ebooks Fly Off Libraries' Virtual Shelves (wired.com) 55
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: After the pandemic closed many libraries' physical branches this spring, checkouts of ebooks are up 52 percent from the same period last year, according to OverDrive, which partners with 50,000 libraries worldwide. Hoopla, another service that connects libraries to publishers, says 439 library systems in the US and Canada have joined since March, boosting its membership by 20 percent. Some public libraries, new to digital collections, delight in exposing their readers to a new kind of reading. The library in Archer City, Texas, population 9,000, received a grant to join OverDrive this summer. The new ebook collection "has really been wonderful," says library director Gretchen Abernathy-Kuck. "So much of the last few months has been stressful and negative." The ebooks are "something positive. It was something new."
But the surging popularity of library ebooks also has heightened longstanding tensions between publishers, who fear that digital borrowing eats into their sales, and public librarians, who are trying to serve their communities during a once-in-a-generation crisis. Since 2011, the industry's big-five publishers -- Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, and Macmillan -- have limited library lending of ebooks, either by time -- two years, for example -- or number of checkouts -- most often, 26 or 52 times. Readers can browse, download, join waiting lists for, and return digital library books from the comfort of their home, and the books are automatically removed from their devices at the end of the lending period. The result: Libraries typically pay between $20 and $65 per copy -- an industry average of $40, according to one recent survey -- compared with the $15 an individual might pay to buy the same ebook online. Instead of owning an ebook copy forever, librarians must decide at the end of the licensing term whether to renew. The publishers' licensing terms make it "very difficult for libraries to be able to afford ebooks," says Michelle Jeske, director of the Denver Public Library and president of the Public Library Association. "The pricing models don't work well for libraries."
"Librarians argue that digital lending promotes sales in the long run, by introducing readers to authors whose books they might not have bought otherwise," reports Wired. Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, the project leader for the Panorama Project, adds: "I think one of the things we'll see in the postmortem of this year is that the importance of libraries is going to stand out. Any publisher that gets out of 2020 not missing their budgets too much -- they're going to owe that to libraries."
But the surging popularity of library ebooks also has heightened longstanding tensions between publishers, who fear that digital borrowing eats into their sales, and public librarians, who are trying to serve their communities during a once-in-a-generation crisis. Since 2011, the industry's big-five publishers -- Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, and Macmillan -- have limited library lending of ebooks, either by time -- two years, for example -- or number of checkouts -- most often, 26 or 52 times. Readers can browse, download, join waiting lists for, and return digital library books from the comfort of their home, and the books are automatically removed from their devices at the end of the lending period. The result: Libraries typically pay between $20 and $65 per copy -- an industry average of $40, according to one recent survey -- compared with the $15 an individual might pay to buy the same ebook online. Instead of owning an ebook copy forever, librarians must decide at the end of the licensing term whether to renew. The publishers' licensing terms make it "very difficult for libraries to be able to afford ebooks," says Michelle Jeske, director of the Denver Public Library and president of the Public Library Association. "The pricing models don't work well for libraries."
"Librarians argue that digital lending promotes sales in the long run, by introducing readers to authors whose books they might not have bought otherwise," reports Wired. Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, the project leader for the Panorama Project, adds: "I think one of the things we'll see in the postmortem of this year is that the importance of libraries is going to stand out. Any publisher that gets out of 2020 not missing their budgets too much -- they're going to owe that to libraries."
Rent-seeking is poisoning our culture (Score:5, Insightful)
see subject
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What alternative do you propose to compensate authors and artists?
Re:Rent-seeking is poisoning our culture (Score:5, Interesting)
I personally donate money directly to creators I enjoy or use Patreon/similar offerings if available.
I strongly prefer the patronage model, and I put my money where my mouth is.
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What I do with the book after that is my business alone, including the right to sell and lend, just so long as I don't copy it. Authors, artists, and more to the point, publishers, want the benefit of not having to do physical production, distribution and sale, whilst seeking to deny the rights of the buyer with some kind of additional restrictive license. Copyright ne
Re:Rent-seeking is poisoning our culture (Score:4, Interesting)
I completely agree with your statement and thought I would add this: Most publishers, but especially the ones mentioned in this article, routinely charge double the price for an ebook version of a paperback. $15 down to $9.99 for a digital copy with less rights than the paperback, which is usually $7, and they bump the price higher when they release the hardcovers.
Publishers today don't even offer much that a decent author couldn't get through other means, except maybe an advance that you have to pay back anyway.
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We don't really need publishers any more. On-demand book printing has been around for ages, self publishing is almost free for eBooks.
There are many successful authors who self publish now, e.g. Chuck Tingle.
Re:Rent-seeking is poisoning our culture (Score:5, Insightful)
Three words: Mickey Fucking Mouse
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The Mouse House would like to have words with you.
Get in the car...
He's gonna make you an offer you can't refuse.
That's the problem, isn't it (Score:4, Insightful)
> What I do with the book after that is my business alone, including the right to sell and lend, just so long as I don't copy it.
"just so long as I don't copy it." That's the problem, isn't it - when Sue sends Bob copy of an ebook, now Sue and Bob have copies. They DID copy it. They most likely used memcpy (memory copy) in the process of making the new copy.
So where do we go from here?
You can get literally billions of pages of free stuff on the internet. Writings about any topic you can imagine. Anything you can think of, just a Google away someone has written about it (and probably made porn related to it).
On the other hand, if you want O'Reilly to find the best authors for you, and edit and and typeset it and hire a illustrator, the folks at O'Reilly need to eat just like you do, and the author needs to be able to buy toilet paper for those two years it takes to write the book. To feed themselves, they charge for some of those books.
Most of the time, I have no need for O'Reilly and for their authors; I get what I want to read for free in the internet, legally. Lots of people write for free. Sometimes I want O'Reilly to edit and illustrate it for me, and find the best author to write about a particular subject. In the fee cases I want O'Reilly to do that for me, of course that service comes at a cost. Because they need to eat too.
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Writers need to work 40 hours a week at their jobs just like everyone else then. None of this crap where they rest on their laurels collecting money on old work.
I don't get to go to work and demand perpetual payment for past work that I already got paid for. Neither should authors, musicians or filmmakers.
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Yes.
But if you produce a physical product (widgets). And build a back-stock of them, after X-days/weeks/months/years/decades, are you just supposed to give them away?
Or do you deserve to be compensated for the work you've done?
Same thing applies to an author long after the release of a novel, when a new copy is sold.
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You are supposed to charge what the market will bear. Sometimes that means you take a loss. Alternatively you can withdraw the supply and hope market conditions improve at a later time (see the Disney Vault).
Given how much new fiction is being produced all the time, a work about life in America a decade ago might be of very little interest to anyone, if they have pay for it. To may alternatives, to many newer options that better reflect their current world.
On the other hand if its got real literary value i
Re:That's the problem, isn't it (Score:5, Interesting)
The Internet Archive loans a scanned copy of a book that they own to an individual, the loan expires after two weeks. They can make a non-commercial copy as per the betamax case [wikipedia.org]. This is what libraries do, loan books. You don't get a 'free' copy, if you do download their PDF, it is time limited.
I fail to see how this differs to physical books. What it does do is help authors extend their readership and enable people to read out of print books.
Copyright is the temporary monopoly over creative works that governments provide to authors, is granted by the US Constitution "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts", not to line the pockets of publishers. Sure, you can break that PDF limitation, just like you can break the DRM on ebooks, but that doesn't invalidate the basic premise.
And, there is no data to show pirated ebooks reduce sales. For me, I try out an author on the Archive and then I'll buy the ebooks the Archive doesn't have (and sometimes I buy all). If I want to buy an ebook, the only reason I don't is when it is too expensive.
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You *Could* get an unlimited copy if you ran the PDF through PSTOEDIT.
That would be violating the DMCA, but you totally COULD do that.
Much the same, a person COULD put ever single page of a pressed wood pulp codex into a page scanner, and laborious do OCR on each and every one, and make a copy of a library book in that fashion.
Just with the PDF, it's a one-liner on the console.
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As I said in my comments, yes you can break the PDF, but that should be a rare exception to normal conduct. And, why? You just read the book. If you want to read it again, you check it out again.
You can also rip video and audio streams, does that mean Netflix and Spotify should go back to distributing physical media?
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Because it makes the library to easy - from the perspective of the publishers.
They are banking on people buying a lot of books because its easy to pay $7.95 at Amazon and not have to worry how long it takes you to get to it or deal with returning vs your recycle bin.
If suddenly you can renew a library book with a click, and don't have to think about returning it at all, just let it expire - well now suddenly the market for paper backs takes big hit.
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well now suddenly the market for paper backs takes big hit.
I don't know about that - the real problem at least with new authors is exposure - no one is going to buy your book if they haven't heard of you. As to established authors, Neil Gaiman [booklaunch.com] found pirated books in Russia increased his sales there. Cory Doctorow didn't charge for many of his books in the early days. There is the free library on baen.com, some years ago I discovered Louise McMaster Bujold there and have bought her 20-odd books because of it.
My experience has been I buy because I'm able to discover
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It doesn't.
The publishers are complaining because (2) they are Drama Queens and (1) they don't make any money.
This was the same argument made against loaning libraries (of books) at one time. Thankfully, the USA Governments recognized that a reading citizenry makes a better democracy and economy (and, thus, more tax revenue).
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The reality is there is room for both but the market needs to simply recognize the value of the product just isnt what it used to be. There is so much other media out there now and people can only consume so much of it. There is also the corpus of prior work, when it comes to fiction, history, mature technologies etc.
Authors, musicians (recording artists, not performers), journalists, filmakers, etc just need to recognize that are society is currently producing to much of this type of content. There is to m
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In the "old days", one could copy a hardcopy book as a physical backup. It he hardcopy book was sold, one was required to either destroy the copy or include it in the sale.
Has this changed?
So, loaning an ebook while maintaining a backup ebook is perfectly legal (under the copyright law at one point).
So what's the Bid Deal?
Even Audible (Amazon) permits the "loan" of an audible book that I own to another person if I so choose.
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> one could copy a hardcopy book as a physical backup. It he hardcopy book was sold, one was required to either destroy the copy
You think you can justify making the copy, which acknowledges the fact that you are making a copy. I was replying to this statement in OP:
>>> "just so long as I don't copy it"
As you've acknowledged, you ARE making a copy, so their post is null and void. Because you are making a copy, copy right law applies. There is no need to spend 200 pages discussing details of copyr
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I have been buying some philosophy classics from Amazon, usually in the cheapest paperback form. Specialist books like this used to cost a fortune. I got Karl Popper "The Open Society and Its Enemies" in one volume for £14.99. I think that book might be out of copyright (pub. 1944). I could have got "Capital" by Karl Marx for £3.99, but I do not agree with his philosophy, no matter how cheap it is.
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There is a job waiting for them at the food processing specialist in one of the many exiting opportunities at a food distribution franchise of their choice. WE DO NOT OWE YOU ANYTHING, get a job.
Times change, with easy access to content creation and content publication, the old models are dying. No printer required, they why the fuck publishers in the first place. Just sell direct and good luck, yeah, I know fuck all rewards but do you know or understand why.
You see that previous model created exclusivity
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I'm still buying books, and if they don't like libraries, they deserve to be unhappy about it.
If they whine and cry and think the world owes them money for everything, even library borrowing, they deserve their unhappiness.
Nothing about it implies that authors or artists will not have a chance to sell books. They're not only selling books to me, they're also selling books to libraries.
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It is funny, just today I bought a vinyl LP, 2 CDs, and a book. Spent about $80.
A few days ago, I looked at some engineering books and they wanted $85 per book. So I borrowed about 20 from a library. Including 100% of the ones I had considered buying. It is a market.
Re:Rent-seeking is poisoning our culture (Score:4, Insightful)
What alternative do you propose to compensate authors and artists?
For the majority of the authors and artists I enjoy, the best advice I could give them to be compensated is this: Stop being dead.
If they stopped being dead I could compensate them.
If they stopped being dead I'd likely give them more money to continue writing new things.
Not to mention being dead keeps them from getting the money that a bunch of greedy non-writers are pocketing, who haven't put pen to paper beyond signing the checks that rightfully are deserved by their creators.
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Build lending system that safeguard a publisher/author's rights.
Does e-book lending cut into revenues?
Sure. Libraries ALWAYS HAVE.
Still, libraries are a greater social good, overall, than the extra couple bucks a publisher/author might see.
And it's not like paper books, where they're out actual inventory.
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Not to mention the corruption in the entire system.
Libraries know publishers need them more than they need publishers. Yet, no single state/library will stand up to this. They will just gladly pay up.
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And creators shouldn't be compensated, right?
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I agree with your implied statement that creators should be compensated. Perhaps there is a certain category of "information" that should not be pay-walled - e.g. immediate news & facts vital to life & limb, so to speak.
However, books by nature are not going to be important current information, having been written at some time in the past. I see 3 broad categories of books: 1. fiction (mental junkfood); 2. general nonfiction (which more often than not is just a lengthy elaboration of someone's *opin
Re: Most disingenuous thing ever (Score:1)
As another poster adequately put it: most authors should stop being dead if they want compensation.
Stop blurring the lines implying that this is for or against fair compensation of content creators - it's not. It's about ditching antiquated business models of middlemen which damage society as a whole.
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Now, that I agree with. eBooks are hideously overpriced, because the publishers don't want to gut their physical book sales.
Truth is, there's room for both, and they can make far more profit on an eBook for $3 than they can for a physical book at $18.
Libraries suddenly in demand (Score:1)
Librarians everywhere panic
News Flash: Publishers Hate Libraries (Score:4, Informative)
Seriously - how do Library ebook checkouts hurt book sales any more than Library dead-tree book checkouts did? Oh, right, they used to try interfering with that too.
Disclaimer: I use our local library's Overdrive service all the time. Right now I'm reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's "No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II".
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The real problem is that there is a "big five" in publishing.
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With dead tree books, there was a "library price" set for books that was quite high. I wouldn't be surprised if they do the same thing for digital titles.
I'm certain the artificial scarcity is a requirement from the publishers to allow this at all.
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With the book I had to go to the library get it and then drive there to return it. To much of a hassle for lots of people so they would just purchase it.
With the ebook I just check it out from home and it automaticlly gets returned. Even easier if I have to wait for the book, I get an email when available, click a link and it downloads.
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Disclaimer: I use our local library's Overdrive service all the time. Right now I'm reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's "No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II".
My family buys a ton of books, but we also borrow a ton of books from our local library. My local library has really positioned itself as a center for our community with tons of events for book lovers and children alike. So, Overdrive has been a literal life-saver. Our local library shut down in March because of the pandemic, and it only recently reopened but only for pickup of orders made online or over the phone. So, no more browsing the new books section or the kids strolling around their corner of the l
Fuck off, publishers (Score:3)
Let's be honest: your logic (this is hurting potential sales!) is the same logic you'd apply - if you could - to dead tree books if you thought you could possibly get away with it.
Fuck you.
Everyone reasonable knows that libraries are a good thing. You know what? Your sales aren't that important, compared to the public good of a community library.
Nope (Score:2)
promotes sales in the long run, by introducing readers to authors whose books they might not have bought otherwise,
No, generally once you go e-book you don't go back to regular books. They're expensive, bulky, heavy and kill trees. Sure, the readers might be interested in a new author. That interest will the take form of "what other books of his/hers are in ebook format?"
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Make no mistake, my Overdrive account with our local library system gets a workout. I've read dozens of books on my old, Sony e-reader without needing to set foot in the library to get them or "return" them. Have read a few using my newer tablet (with full-color, backlit LCD) as well.
So long as many of the titles I'm looking for simply don't exist as e-books, I will be investing in Dead Tree Format. There is no (legal) ePub of "The Odyssey File," by Arthur C Clarke.
Alternative... (Score:2)
Maybe the libraries should band together and just setup their own ebook server and book vault. Except here they scan in physical books and DRM them.
Then they buy X physical copies of a book and instantly lend them out to member libraries around the world to lend out. If demand is high, buy more physical books into the vault, if low, sell some on Amazon. The physical books would be in mint condition... prob in their original shipping box.
This feels like crossing a private bridge and complaining about the to
Not Happening...Sadly (Score:3)
What you suggest is a brilliant idea, but sadly, it's not going to happen because the court cases are already on the side of the publishers.
Zediva tried doing this by streaming DVDs - one user per DVD at a time, with physical players that enforced this. Judge sided with the MPAA:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-p... [arstechnica.com]
Aereo tried to have a streaming service where they would allow people to, essentially, stream whatever came in from an antenna - at a 1:1 tuner-to-subscriber ratio. They got shut down, in a Supreme C
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What you suggest is a brilliant idea, but sadly, it's not going to happen because the court cases are already on the side of the publishers.
Yes and no. Government-run libraries have also litigated issues like this with publishers, and they've won, the world over, including in the United States. The courts aren't particularly enamored of enabling library checkout as a business model, but the American Library Association has won in court repeatedly, because they represent county libraries, paid for with taxes. It's a little ridiculous that there's a distinction, but there is.
The ALA could and should set up their own digitization system, comple
Better option (Score:1)
This piss poor site and the lack of nearby librarys is the reason I stop going and threw away my library card.
Rubbish (Score:2)
Ebooks from Libraries are not cheap. Publishers sell licence and these eBooks expire after a while (generally 2 years or after 100 check-outs, whichever comes first). Publishers have *much* to gain, and the libraries are at the short end of the stick in this situation - they need to renew the licence (i.e. pay again) even if nobody borrows the book.
Physical books on the other hand can last MUCH longer.
Baen doesn't have issues with ebooks (Score:2)
Baen Publishing seems to do pretty OK with their ebooks and print books despite the fact the every single one is published in a variety of formats without any DRM, and has been doing so for quite some time now.
In the Grantville Gazette number 88, which was published several months ago, Eric Flint had some things to say about it...
=Begin quote=
"Tempus fugit" is a Latin phrase that officially translates as "time flies." What it really is, though, is a hoity-toity way of saying "old fa
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I think the fact that this book, and many others that are available for free download by anyone on the planet is still [selling] kinda puts the whole 'piracy' thing to rest.
I go one step farther. I am quite certain that the continued availability of the free digital version of the novel actively contributes to the ongoing sales Eric Flint has been enjoying for a generation. Baen Books has a microscopic advertising budget. I recall seeing exactly one Baen advertisement in the past decade. Their author's biggest problem is getting potential customers to even know they exist. The Baen books free editions go a long way towards closing the gap between their miniscule advertisi
Their own fault, (Score:2)
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Using book deals to reward people for their political favors used by the owners of book publishers. Been going on for centuries.