Webinar of Interest and PEW Article
/This free webinar is likely to be of interest:
Collaborating for Access: The Outlook for Library Ebook Legislation, presented by COSLA, DPLA, and ReadersFirst
Tuesday, September 27, at 1 pm ET
In this fourth in our Collaborating for Access series of webinars hosted by COSLA, DPLA, and ReadersFirst, we’ll look at the recent push for ebook legislation, and what it could mean for patron access to digital content. We’ll bring together a panel of librarians and thought leaders to discuss the progress of various legislation efforts, potential ramifications, and what might come next.
Speakers will include:
Kyle Courtney, Copyright Advisor, Harvard University and Co-founder and Board Chair, Library Futures
Alan Inouye, Senior Director, Public Policy and Government Relations, ALA
Briana McNamee, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, New York Library Association
Irene Padilla, Maryland State Librarian
PEW recently featured an article by Caitlin Dewey on the topic of library ebooks that is also likely to be of interest: Librarians and Lawmakers Push for Greater Access to E-Books | The Pew Charitable Trusts (pewtrusts.org)
The article does a good job describing the issues and explaining where efforts are now. It’s well worth a read. One statement in it, however, won’t go with comment here:
“Libraries are an important part of the copyright ecosystem as authorized distributors,” said Terrence Hart, the general counsel for the Association of American Publishers, in a statement to Stateline. “There won’t be anything to distribute if states destroy the incentives and protections of authors to license and exploit their exclusive rights to their works.”
This is a red herring. The states aren’t trying to destroy any incentives and protections. We are trying to get fair pricing. None of the bills have any issue with licensing per se. The authors may keep their rights. What we want is a print equivalent deal. For a 2 year or 30 circ license, charge the cost of the print book. (Any librarian can explain this is actually not as good an ROI as we get from a typical hardcover, with print circs greatly exceed those allowed by license terms and the added ability of giving the book to Friends groups later.) For a longer term license (maybe even perpetual), raise the price. It’s worked in print for hundreds of years and authors and publishers are fine. The publishers wish to exploit loopholes in copyright for digital to jack up prices. So shut up about “authorized distributors,” which none of the upcoming laws will challenge, and enter into fair negotiations that would make the laws unnecessary.