What Libraries Should Have, At The Very Least

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The tyranny of the license continues, preventing libraries from fulfilling basic parts of their mission to share and preserve content. ReadersFirst does not necessarily seek to undo licensing completely—fairly done, it can be acceptable—and we certainly wish authors to be compensated. But adjustment are necessary to many of the licenses that are forced upon us if we wish to have any access if we are to operate as we should to serve the public.

  • Libraries should be able to license eBooks and eAudiobooks made available to individuals—on reasonable terms and without special restrictions. Current prices from many publishers—though mercifully not all!—are far above what we pay for print equivalents. Copyright has resulted in libraries and publishers reaching equitable terms—digital circulation should not cost three and four times (conservatively!) what we can do with print. The type/duration of licenses is relatively unimportant if costs are print equivalent.

  • Readers should be able to excerpt and make use of digital copyright-protected work under limitations currently defined as fair use.

  • Libraries Should be able to make archival copies of eBooks and eAudiobooks to preserve the cultural record, and the DCMA should be amended to allow this practice. Libraries should be able to lend these copies under the guidelines applicable to ILL, taking appropriate care to ensure that the content is digitally protected.

To serve the public (and students and faculty) and to perform our basic duties, and for the pubic to use materials fairly, these three points are necessary. ReadersFirst calls upon all library stakeholders to affirm this much, whatever else they may wish to seek as fair or work towards (such as agreed-upon OWNERSHIP of digital content, as some publishers are now allowing). Caught between a need for traditional means of sharing content and an ever-increasing demand for digital, libraries face a time of unique challenge. The future of information—for all, and not just those who can use a credit card—is at stake.