Libraries, readers wade into digital lending

Electronic book borrowing is a convenient way for libraries to remain relevant, but publishers are worried.
(From The New York Times)

The story "Libraries, readers wade into digital lending" published October 14, 2009 at 11:25 PM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from The New York Times expires after 7 days.

[wlxfeedpartner2]

This is a good post !!!

[13CANNON13]

This sounds great, I wish Alabama had this program.

[gfsdfge]

Very good article. I hope to aee more like this too,

[overtext]

That would be an amazing service for just humanitarian reasons. Unfortunately everything is about money but if they buy a legit copy from the publisher what the hell are they complaining about because it would expire anyways from their account as if it was a real book. Greedy companies are canker sores to the world!

[gefitz]

Having a bit of experience with online vendors in this market, it doesn't seem like they are interested in providing a sustainable pricing model for public libraries. I have a feeling that's dictated by publishers, though.

Lots of people draw a parallel between ebooks and digital music. I think that isn't necessarily a good analogy for how this product will be marketed by publishers. Libraries offer content for lower cost than market (there is some cost to the populace the library serves: taxes) And it's legal. The only free audio or video content out there is generally grey/black market. So, there is more of a disincentive for publishers to offer digital product for low cost to libraries who offer the service legally. At least, until DRM becomes less easily hacked.

That last quote in the article tells it like it is: "I would download as much as I can", and "buying doesn't make sense" in a market where titles are conveniently (and legally!) available for no more than what you've paid in taxes to sustain your local library.

[shootfirst]

The key thing for publishers to know and remember is that digital books like music will forever be pirated and be redistributed. What they did years ago isn't feasible anymore and they need to understand that the same pricing model does not apply. If you charge too much for a book which any common man can now put into digital and then upload it to the internet you are just asking it to be done. Authors and musicians can make a ton of money from people who work hard and barely make enough to get by. The whole worth of having entertainment is to detract humanity from the daily grind. Entertainers should be paid however it shouldn't be an obscene amount. I'd like to see how the business model is affected by offering the items for lower prices since it would be more appealing to the masses to buy more and if it is electronic there is no real cost on the provider as well as less people wanting to pirate because the price is so high. Sure people are still going to pirate and that is to be expected so it should be included in the stupid business model. Don't blame the consumers for seeing the holes in your plan and exploiting them, fix it and adapt.

[Renegade Knight]

I like how they say they havent' found a model that works. Yet nothing has changed except the distribution format. The only thing they need to fix is that if the library has one ebook, they can loan that one book to one person before it's "checked back in" and loaned to the next one. If it works like that nothing is broken in the system exept DRM that works for everone so it does work like that.