I would like
to offer some thoughts on the New Focus on EBooks and the EBook Business Models
scorecard articles.
A series of events has caused a chain reaction
of sorts in the library world. An increase of people purchasing e-reading devises
causes libraries to experience a massive increase of e-book circulation. Moreover,
I am sure that people requested books from publishers that refuse to sell to
libraries. Librarians would then have to explain the craziness of licensing to
their patrons. These increases made it necessary for libraries to dialogue with
the big publishing houses about the availability and prices of e-books and
licensing. Random House e-book prices skyrocketed up to 200%. Hachette, and Simon
& Shuster will simply NOT sell e-books to libraries at all. Penguin will
only sell e-books to libraries with extreme restrictions. In my view this is
just plain WRONG.
EBook
Business Models: a scorecard for public libraries
In 2012 the
Digital Content & Libraries Working Group (DCWG) described and documented the
particulars of eBook contract and license agreements. The author referenced a
great analogy, when he said “a tall man shopping for a car is more interested in
head room than price.” In the same way, a librarian cares more about “integration
into the catalog” than she is about preserving eBooks. He goes on to echo what
we have heard since day one of class—the importance of negotiation. “Our goals
are that you will have the needed information for developing and negotiating eBook
licensing agreements.” I thought that this piece addressed negotiating for
favorable and flexible terms and libraries having options to own the eBooks
they purchase with specific license agreements.
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