HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Whenever bestselling author Robin Cook releases a new medical thriller, the head of the public library in West Haven knows demand for digital copies will be high. So will the price.

West Haven Library, like many others, is struggling with the increasing expense of e-books and audiobooks. The prices for these digital titles are often much higher than what individuals pay. For instance, while the library may spend $18 for a physical copy of Cook’s latest book, a digital version can cost $55 to lease, and negotiations with publishers are not an option.

The e-book typically has a limited time span and expires after one or two years, or after 26 uses, whichever occurs first. Unlike e-books bought by individuals, libraries must renew their leased e-material periodically.

Over the past three years, the West Haven Library, which has limited funds, has used over $12,000 to lease an extra 276 digital titles, on top of what is already provided through a group of public libraries. However, out of those titles, 84 are currently not accessible. If the same amount had been used to purchase physical books, it could have covered around 800 titles.

Colleen Bailie, a librarian, expressed at a recent public hearing the idea of a playground being constructed at a school using tax money, only to be dismantled after being in use for two years.

The publishers contend that the agreement is reasonable because libraries can provide multiple patrons with access to e-book licenses for borrowing, making the cost per reader significantly lower than the usual rate.

Libraries in various states have been advocating for laws to control the expenses and limitations of digital content, which has seen a surge in demand due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Customers are facing extended wait times for audio and e-books, and the availability of digital resources is limited.

State lawmakers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Hawaii, and New Hampshire have put forth bills this year with the goal of addressing the issue of affordability. While a bill was proposed in Virginia, it was ultimately shelved in February.

They encounter significant resistance from the publishing sector, which maintains that the law weakens the importance of intellectual property and will negatively impact the publishing environment.

Shelley Husband, the senior vice president of government affairs at the Association of American Publishers, stated that while there is a funding issue, it is not appropriate to solve it by taking money from authors and violating their rights. She pointed out that with the rise in availability of electronic materials, fewer people are purchasing books from physical retailers.

Readers across the globe borrowed 662 million e-books, audiobooks and digital magazines last year, up 19% since 2022, according to data provided by OverDrive, the main distributor of digital content for libraries and schools.

According to e-book committee chair Rebecca Harlow, Libraries Online Inc., a consortium of 38 libraries in Connecticut, is currently using $20,000 per month to purchase e-books. Approximately 20% of the consortium’s budget is allocated towards replacing titles that have expired.

Harlow stated to legislators, “Replacing all of this year’s expired content would exceed our entire annual budget for e-books. We are no longer able to grow our library collection.”

She mentioned that the consortium only rents out less than 30 books per month for children and 30 books per month for teens.

Disposing of electronic books and audiobooks is not a viable solution for libraries that serve patrons like Casey Rosseau, 53, from West Hartford, Connecticut.

Rosseau, a technology employee, is experiencing deteriorating vision. He listens to approximately 200 audiobooks annually through the use of OverDrive’s Libby app on his mobile device and often has to wait for months to access highly sought-after titles.

He mentioned that he frequents the library for new releases from authors like John Grisham and James Patterson. These books are published frequently and can be quite expensive to purchase.

In the year 2021, a bill was passed in Maryland stating that publishers must make e-books accessible to libraries under “fair” conditions if they were already available to the general public. However, a judge overturned this in 2022, as publishers contended that federal copyright laws prevent states from regulating publishing agreements. In 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul also rejected a similar proposal.

Several recent legislative proposals employ a distinct strategy.

Proposed legislation in Illinois aims to nullify any agreements between libraries and publishers that contain specific conditions, such as limiting a library’s autonomy in setting loan durations for licensed digital materials. Similar measures are also being considered in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Connecticut state Representative Matt Blumenthal, a Democrat, explained that our bill essentially allows libraries to negotiate terms with publishers, rather than mandating specific actions from the publishers.

According to Husband, from the Association of American Publishers, there is little distinction between the repealed Maryland law and current attempts. In the past year, groups representing publishers, booksellers, and authors came together to create The Protect the Creative Economy Coalition in order to resist state laws.

Julie Holden, the assistant director of the Cranston Public Library in Rhode Island, explained that unless there are changes made to existing laws, librarians will still struggle with financial constraints and will have to spend time reviewing expiration dates for digital leases in order to determine if it is worth renewing them.

She stated that those who pay taxes to support our public libraries deserve much greater quality.

Source: wral.com