The American Library Association (ALA) took a position for the first time yesterday on HarperCollins’ new library ebook licensing restrictions in a short statement. They led: “As libraries cope with stagnant or decreased budgets, the recent decision by publisher HarperCollins to restrict the lending of e-books to a limited number of circulations per copy threatens libraries’ ability to provide their users with access to information.”
ALA President Roberta Stevens says, “The announcement, at a time when libraries are struggling to remain open and staffed, is of grave concern. This new limitation means that fewer people will have access to an increasingly important format for delivering information.” Stevens adds that “the transition to the e-book format should not result in less availability. The marketplace for e-books is changing rapidly. We encourage publishers to look to libraries as a vehicle to reach and grow diverse audiences.”
In a separate dispatch to member Stevens had to explain that she “held back on a public statement on the recent decision by Harper Collins to restrict the lending of e-books until the Equitable Access to Electronic Information Task Force (EQUACC) met last week. Please know that I heard your voices of concern about the impact of additional costs on your libraries and ability to meet the needs of the communities you serve.”
Within a week the ALA and EQUACC intend to launch a website “dedicated to developing a model for e-book lending.” But the ALA’s press release oversteps in going from the general issue to a paragraph on the shaky meme that libraries are responsible for the success of Elizabeth Gilbert’s EAT, PRAY, LOVE, including the unfortunately false assertion that the 2006 book “didn’t become a bestseller until March 2007.” (The hardcover appeared on lists from the NYT, LAT, ABA, SF Chronicle and USA Today within a month of its release.)
The NYT catches up on the controversy, noting that “it is still a surprise to many consumers that e-books are available in libraries at all.” So far Harper has received more attention–and criticism–than publishers that do not provide ebooks to libraries under any terms. Macmillan head John Sargent reiterates their position to the paper: “We are working diligently to try to find terms that satisfy the needs of the libraries and protect the value of our intellectual property. When we determine those terms, we will sell e-books to libraries.”
ALA statement
NYT