Comments on: Why Library and eBooks Issues Matter

By: Jennifer Ridout

Jennifer Ridout — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:50:33 +0000

I’m not sure about the situation in the US but in the UK this solution would raise some licensing concerns as content downloaded onto an ereader is normally for personal use. Agree with Bobbi though, as both a ebook borrower and a librarian. Demand for titles far outstrips the availability of ebooks in both academic and public libraries in the UK. I recently had to try and source some HE ebooks for a blind student with the intent that they could use the text to speech facility on ereaders to use them. Only a couple of items from the huge reading list were available as ebooks and the way our library download system works its unlikely that the student would be able to navigate it unaided.

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 21:04:25 +0000

Deborah,
No where in my post do I suggest that anyone should stop making a living from books. I’ll assume you were responding to Sheena’s comment.

I do have to point out that as far as I know libraries have been trying to work with publishers. I know that ALA President Molly Raphael and others have met with many different publishing groups over this last year. While I agree that we need to work together we also need to acknowledge that perhaps publishers don’t want to be BFFs with libraries. We need to be prepared and able to stand up for the rights of our patrons and communities.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:39:20 +0000

Okay, while I agree that the publishers have to figure out how to deal with libraries, a lot of people earn their livings from the sales of books – authors, editors, printers, binders, booksellers to name a few. It they stop being able to make a living at it, they will stop publishing books. Then what will we put in our libraries? We need to stop blaming each other and find a way to work together.

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:29:26 +0000

Hi Sharon
Amazon has an extensive collection of free books as well. I’m just not comfortable telling someone that their reading choices are limited to the free books, especially given the quality of many of them.

By: Sharon Vaughn

Sharon Vaughn — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 01:12:10 +0000

Barnes & Nobles nook has almost 2 million books that can be downloaded free, some of which are classics. The public library where I work has been working in conjunction with the local B&N and NCLive to find a more efficient process for downloading ebooks directly from the library rather than to a computer as a PDF file and sideloading it to the device. The library is getting ready to offer a new service of direct downloading via cloud. I can’t remember what it’s called, but it should make it easier to pick, click, and read.

By: Jennifer Dixey

Jennifer Dixey — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 05:39:05 +0000

It’s on the Kindle Fire page on Amazon.com, under the headline “Read for Free with Amazon Prime” – it takes a little scrolling to reach that part of the ad.

I agree that, as you say, the main problem is that it needs to get easier for patrons to download and use eBooks from libraries.

It occurs to me that book publishers right now are about where music publishers were 10 years ago in terms of trying to keep existing models going in the face of technological change. I’m not sure how libraries will play a role in fixing this, although I hope that librarians, at least, will put energy into projects like unglue.it that do an end-run around the existing models!

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By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:27:52 +0000

Edie – That is certainly one of several possible solutions to this particular problem. The larger issue is that ebooks should be MUCH easier to get through lbiraries.

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:26:31 +0000

Hi Jennifer
I haven’t seen that Amazon ad yet – thanks for sharing it. It really is unfortunate that Amazon is choosing to paint traditional libraries in such a manner. Especially given they have their own issues with publishers (I won’t comment on who is wrong or right in that disagreement!) I certainly don’t see Amazon as competition for libraries too bad Amazon sees us as competition for them!

You’re quite right in the second portion of your comment! We must serve all demographics of our communities.