Rhode Island is the First to the Mark

On January 18th, a library digital content bill was (re)introduced in the Rhode Island legislature.

View the text here.

Long-time followers of library digital content legislation will note this language looks strikingly like Maryland’s law from 2021. That law did not withstand a challenge in federal court. It is of course possible that should this bill pass into law, another judge will rule differently. The librarians and legislators in Rhode Island are, however, aware of what happened in Maryland. This may be a preliminary bill that will be amended to take a consumer protection or state procurement law direction.

So, Rhode Island is the first to the mark this year. Thank you, legislators, for looking out for the good of your library users! But RF is confident Rhode Island will not be alone. At least 3 other states are likely to launch this year. As many as 7 others may. Meanwhile, 3 others are almost certain next year. Many state legislators have become aware that current large publisher licenses are unfair to readers, unfair to tax payers, unsupportive of digital and social equity, and just plain usurious.

Librarians are not, as is sometimes falsely claimed, in league with “Big Tech” to destroy copyright. We ask only fair terms. We’ll work for those terms at the state level—for now. Publishers, you’ll not lose digital money. We’ll spend more to get more. More diverse and newer authors will be discovered, remunerated, and likely to sell more in all formats. Established authors will still have long digital waiting lists at libraries, with readers tired enough of this supposedly “frictionless” situation to just go buy, if they have the wherewithal to, or to read a library print copy. So why not negotiate? New laws will be tweaked and not fall, as Maryland’s did. And readers will be ready to back libraries when those laws are place, as legislators were to get the laws into place.

We’re ready and willing to talk.