* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Go-to entertainment: why gaming was made for the toilet – The Guardian

    Why Gaming Is the Ultimate Way to Pass Time in the Bathroom

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Microsoft Seeks to Extend Access to OpenAI Technology – PYMNTS.com

    Microsoft Aims to Broaden Access to OpenAI Technology

    Livonia police use grappler technology to stop drunk driver – ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

    Livonia Police Deploy Grappler Technology to Safely Stop Drunk Driver

    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    More than just a hockey player – Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

    Beyond the Ice: The Inspiring Journey of a Remarkable Athlete from Rochester Institute of Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Go-to entertainment: why gaming was made for the toilet – The Guardian

    Why Gaming Is the Ultimate Way to Pass Time in the Bathroom

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Microsoft Seeks to Extend Access to OpenAI Technology – PYMNTS.com

    Microsoft Aims to Broaden Access to OpenAI Technology

    Livonia police use grappler technology to stop drunk driver – ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

    Livonia Police Deploy Grappler Technology to Safely Stop Drunk Driver

    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    More than just a hockey player – Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

    Beyond the Ice: The Inspiring Journey of a Remarkable Athlete from Rochester Institute of Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Public Libraries Must Pay A Higher Price For E-Books Than Consumers Do, And It’s Squeezing Their Budgets

March 13, 2024
in News
Public Libraries Must Pay A Higher Price For E-Books Than Consumers Do, And It’s Squeezing Their Budgets
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

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.

Like many libraries, West Haven has been grappling with the soaring costs of e-books and audiobooks. The digital titles often come with a price tag that’s far higher than what consumers pay. While one hardcover copy of Cook’s latest novel costs the library $18, it costs $55 to lease a digital copy — a price that can’t be haggled with publishers.

And for that, the e-book expires after a limited time, usually after one or two years, or after 26 checkouts, whichever comes first. While e-books purchased by consumers can last into perpetuity, libraries need to renew their leased e-material.

The modestly funded West Haven Library has spent more than $12,000 over the last three years to lease just 276 additional digital titles beyond what patrons can access through a consortium of public libraries. Eighty-four of those books are no longer available. If that same amount had been spent on paper books, it would have covered about 800 titles.

“Imagine if a playground was built at a school with tax dollars, only to be taken down after two years of use,” librarian Colleen Bailie said at a recent public hearing.

Publishers, however, argue the arrangement is fair considering e-book licenses for libraries allow numerous patrons to “borrow” them and the per-reader cost is much less expensive than the per-reader rate.

Librarians in several states have been pushing for legislation to rein in the costs and restrictions on electronic material, which has been growing in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic. Patrons are stuck on long waiting lists for audio and e-books, and digital offerings are limited.

This year, lawmakers in states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Hawaii and New Hampshire have proposed bills aimed at closing the affordability gap. A bill was introduced in Virginia but was tabled in February.

They face strong opposition from the publishing industry, which argues the legislation undermines intellectual property values and will harm the publishing ecosystem.

“They do have a funding problem, but the answer is not to take it out of the pockets of authors and destroy the rights of creators and pass unconstitutional legislation,” said Shelley Husband, senior vice president of government affairs at the Association of American Publishers, noting how more people than ever can access e-material that might otherwise have been purchased from booksellers.

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.

Libraries Online Inc., a Connecticut interlibrary consortium, is currently spending roughly $20,000 a month on e-books for its 38 members. Replacing expired titles consumes 20% of the consortium’s budget, said e-book committee chair, Rebecca Harlow.

“If we replaced all of the content that has expired this year, the cost would exceed our entire annual budget for e-books,” Harlow recently told lawmakers. “We have completely lost the ability to build a library collection.”

The consortium leases fewer than 30 books a month for children and 30 books a month for teens, she said.

Dumping e-books and audio books isn’t considered an option for libraries with patrons like Casey Rosseau, 53, of West Hartford, Connecticut.

Rosseau, an information technology worker, has worsening eyesight. He reads about 200 audiobooks a year using OverDrive’s Libby app on his phone, and is typically on waiting lists for months at a time for the most coveted titles.

“I’ve always gone to the library to get the latest John Grisham or the latest James Patterson (novel),” he said. “Those come out so often that you have to have really deep pockets in order to be able to afford to buy them.”

In 2021, Maryland passed a law that would have required publishers to make e-books available on “reasonable terms” to libraries if they were being offered to the general public. That was struck down by a judge in 2022, after publishers successfully argued that federal copyright law bars states from regulating publishing transactions. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a similar measure in 2021.

Many of the latest legislative proposals try a different approach.

An Illinois bill would void contracts between libraries and publishers that include certain provisions, such as restricting a library’s right to determine loan periods for licensed electronic material. Massachusetts and Connecticut are looking at similar proposals.

“Basically, rather than telling the publishers that they have to do anything in particular, our bill would tell the libraries on what terms they can make deals with the publishers,” said Connecticut state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, a Democrat.

Husband, of the Association of American Publishers, said she sees no real difference between the overturned Maryland law and these latest efforts. Last year, organizations representing publishers, booksellers and authors formed The Protect the Creative Economy Coalition to oppose state legislation.

But Julie Holden, assistant library director for the Cranston Public Library in Rhode Island, said that without legislative change, local librarians will not only continue to face financial strain, they’ll be bogged down examining lists of expiring digital leases to decide whether they can justify spending more money to renew each one.

“Taxpayers who fund our public libraries deserve better. Way better,” she said.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Associated Press – https://apnews.com/article/libraries-ebooks-publishers-expensive-laws-5d494dbaee0961eea7eaac384b9f75d2

Tags: librariesnewsPublic
Previous Post

Prosecutor who said Biden had ‘poor memory’ speaks to House panel…

Next Post

Why ‘funga’ is just as important as flora and fauna

Study reveals China’s ecological red lines offer blueprint for biodiversity protection – Phys.org

Study reveals China’s ecological red lines offer blueprint for biodiversity protection – Phys.org

August 3, 2025
What do TSA bag scanners actually see? – Popular Science

What do TSA bag scanners actually see? – Popular Science

August 3, 2025
Why does your mind goes ‘blank’? New brain scans reveal the surprising answer – Live Science

Why does your mind goes ‘blank’? New brain scans reveal the surprising answer – Live Science

August 3, 2025
U.S. POINTER Study shows lifestyle program improves cognition in older adults – University of California – Davis Health

Lifestyle Program Boosts Cognitive Health in Older Adults, New Study Finds

August 3, 2025
World Championships, Day Eight Finals: Kliment Kolesnikov Blazes to Title in 50 Backstroke; Tie for Silver – Swimming World

Kliment Kolesnikov Blazes to Victory in 50 Backstroke as Day Eight of World Championships Ends with a Silver Medal Tie

August 3, 2025
Bond investors warm to risk, with Fed staying put in ‘Goldilocks’ economy – Reuters

Bond Investors Take Bold Steps as Fed Maintains Steady Course in a ‘Goldilocks’ Economy

August 3, 2025
Go-to entertainment: why gaming was made for the toilet – The Guardian

Why Gaming Is the Ultimate Way to Pass Time in the Bathroom

August 3, 2025
Covenant Health offers immunizations, activities for kids at Back to School Bash – KCBD

Covenant Health’s Back to School Bash: A Fun-Filled Immunization and Activities Event for Kids

August 3, 2025
Trump tells Schumer to ‘go to hell’ as Senate heads home after failed attempt to strike deal on nominees – CNN

Trump tells Schumer to ‘go to hell’ as Senate heads home after failed attempt to strike deal on nominees – CNN

August 3, 2025
Microsoft Seeks to Extend Access to OpenAI Technology – PYMNTS.com

Microsoft Aims to Broaden Access to OpenAI Technology

August 3, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (752)
  • Economy (777)
  • Entertainment (21,654)
  • General (16,263)
  • Health (9,814)
  • Lifestyle (785)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (777)
  • Politics (786)
  • Science (15,990)
  • Sports (21,272)
  • Technology (15,754)
  • World (758)

Recent News

Study reveals China’s ecological red lines offer blueprint for biodiversity protection – Phys.org

Study reveals China’s ecological red lines offer blueprint for biodiversity protection – Phys.org

August 3, 2025
What do TSA bag scanners actually see? – Popular Science

What do TSA bag scanners actually see? – Popular Science

August 3, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version