Virginia Introduces Ebook Legislation

Last Friday, a library digital content Bill was introduced in the Virginia Senate. Senate Bill 1528 would “amend and reenact § 42.1-10 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 42.1-33.1, relating to libraries; acquisition of books and other library matter; electronic literary material.” It was introduced on Friday by Sen. David Marsden.

Thank you, Senator Marsden, for your advocacy for Virginia library readers and Virginia tax payers!

The Bill is based on consumer protection and would prevent any “contract offered by a publisher to license any electronic literary material to a library” from containing “any provision that . . . 3. Requires a library to acquire a license for any electronic literary material at a price substantially greater than that charged to the public for the same item; or 4. Requires a library to pay a cost-per-circulation fee to loan any electronic literary material, unless substantially lower in aggregate than the cost of purchasing the item outright.”

The Fairfax County (Sen. Marsden’s district) legislative agenda suggests the legislation will “support reducing barriers to libraries acquiring eMaterials under reasonable terms and costs, as public libraries often pay prices substantially higher than what a consumer would pay for the same digital item.”

The point about pay-per-use is a nice touch.

Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Who’s next? Keep it coming! It’s a movement now.