Libraries and Ebooks, a Kindle version

There are a number of copyright issues around e-books that libraries have faced before in the move from print journals to e-journals. Some of these issues may not have been anticipated. But having now years of experience with aggregators and subscription licenses that provide access rather than ownership, with no absolute certainty of preservation, libraries are in a position today to negotiate the shift more carefully than the shift from print journals to e-journals.

When a library originally subscribed to an e-journal rather than a print journal it may not have seemed much of a change because libraries have always subscribed to journals. And even if to subscribe to an e-journal was only to gain access to these journals rather than to buy them, there was a sense of paying for the journals that were yet to come. But that shift has left libraries in many ways at the mercy of the journal aggregators in terms of which journals libraries have access to, the cost of access, and most important for this class, the terms of access. Terms of access as expressed by license contracts have deployed and re-interpreted copyright law in ways unimaginable fifty years ago. But if the licenses used for subscribing to e-journals become the models for e-books, libraries and the public will have lost more ground to those who control copyright on issues of resale and multiple readers. Libraries must tread carefully as they shift to e-books.

What are the issues libraries face with e-books? First, there is the question of paying for access to the book rather than buying the book. E-books will turn out to be dramatically more costly than traditional books if libraries pay for them year after year. A second issue of concern to libraries is aggregation. Librarians would need to order groups of books, rather than choosing individual titles to buy for e-books to be cost effective for publishers. But this aggregation would be a burden to libraries who are interested in tailoring their collections to their clientele. It would also further encourage a centralized, mass production of books within publishing which is not good for creating a truly diverse body of knowledge.
Another issue for libraries and e-books are the devices on which they will be read. Some devices, like the Kindle, will accept only one publisher’s, Amazon’s, digital format. This, of course, creates a monopoly for Amazon. It also makes it almost imperative that libraries carry these readers. And no doubt, if the library carries such devices, the devices will be improved and libraries will need to be regularly replacing them. They will also need to interact with patrons who are borrowing this hardware. What happens when the hardware malfunctions? Do librarians want to deal with these issues?

All these issues must be faced and understood before any library makes a mad dash toward the future and e-books. Technology for its own sake is perhaps not the best policy.

Sources
Overview of e-books "E-Publishing: A Rapidly Maturing Industry”, Library Technology Reports, 40(6), 5-39.
“Book Expo America Comes to LA” Library News July 2008 14-16.