Ebook Budgets and the Digital Divide (ALA New Focus on Ebooks Reflections)

The new focus on Ebooks in libraries is a compelling issue, especially when considering the digital divide existing in the US today. While many people own Ebook readers (such as Barnes and Noble's Nook, Amazon's Kindle) or tablet computers (like the popular iPad), there are still a great deal of library patrons without these devices. When a librarian is grappling with the overwhelming need to budget for the ever-increasing prices of Ebooks, should the librarian take into consideration the number of their library's patrons with regular access to Ebook readers? How much should the proportion of device owners play into budgetary discretion?

The American Library Association (ALA) article "New Focus on Ebook" article really draws attention to the, sometimes arbitrary, price increases mandated by publishers. When considering these price increases it may also be wise to consider whether or not ownership of ereader devices is also increasing.

The opening paragraph of the article gives a figure about the growth of proportion of libraries offering Ebooks over the last five years, "climbing from 38.3% in 2007 to 67.2% in 2011, according to the American Library Association's Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study." Unfortunately, that same opening paragraph does not provide insight into the growth of ownership of ereader devices such as Nooks and Tablets. And while the increase in smartphone ownership has proven to bridge some of the digital divide, the ALA does not provide data on how most people are accessing/reading Ebooks. This bit of data is every bit as important as knowing the number of libraries now offering the resource. After all, what good is a resource that can't be accessed/won't be accessed by the general patronage of a specific library.

We are only getting part of the picture.

According to the ALA article some Ebook prices have risen to as much as $120 without much notice from the publishers (Random House is being used as an example here). A spokesperson from Random House was quoted in the article, and this quote should raise the inquiry about whether librarians have a responsibility to know about the availability of ereader devices among their patrons. The following quote was found in the article:

“We believe our new library e-pricing reflects the high value placed on perpetuity of lending and simultaneity of availability for our titles,” said Stuart Applebaum, a Random House spokesperson. “Understandably, every library will have its own perspective on this topic, and we are prepared to listen, learn, and adapt as appropriate,” he said.

Should ereader availability be part of the "its own perspective" bit Applebaum is referring to? Should a collection-development librarian employ surveys of their patrons before sinking a massive chunk of their budget into electronic books? How could a librarian go about this process?

After all, even if libraries make ereading devices available for their patrons to rent is that really enough to justify buying a $120 electronic resource if only 30 or 40 percent of patrons even own such devices?

The ALA article even points out that Ebook circulation still remains "very low compared to print book collections" yet makes an argument about their "increase" in the same breath.

Libraries should not just rush to offer as many Ebooks as possible in order to be a part of the growing consensus of libraries--librarians have to weigh the value of this resource as more than a gimmick to get patrons through the door.

--E. Anthony