Debate over E-Books in Libraries

With the technology boom reaching nearly every aspect of our lives it is not surprising to see digitalized books known as e-books in Libraries. Over the years libraries has provided readers like you and me with shelves of books which we could borrow at our own leisure. Now these shelves will be replaced with a database where avid readers could download full novels for free. Despite the conveniences that e-books in libraries would bring, it has been the source of new debate in the publishing world.

Traditionally, libraries would reach an agreement with publishers where once the e-book is purchased the library is free to distribute an unlimited number of times. Recently, publishers have been feeling uneasy regarding this policy and HarperCollins Publishers proposes to enforce stricter enforcements which would require books be checked out only 26 times before they expire. This proposal has been the source of much uproar within the library community. Anne Silvers Lee, chief of materials management division of the Free Library of Philadelphia states, “We want e-books in our collection, our customers are telling us they want e-books, so I want to be able to get e-books from all the publishers. I also need to do it in a way that is not going to be exorbitantly expensive.”

As an avid borrower of library books I cannot help but side with the library in this situation. Libraries receive minimal funding despite being a great resource of people of all ages. This new policy on e-books enacted on publishers will do little to help the situation libraries go through with trying to keep afloat for their communities.

The Fate of the e-book

As a college student (and an English major), I spend a lot of my time in the library. The library is a beautiful place full of information that has the distinct scent of knowledge. The books that line the shelves connect students with history, politics, art, famous authors, culture, and tradition. The tradition of checking out books from the library is one that is often taken for granted. Where do these books come from? Does the library purchase all of these books, periodicals, films, and other items? Finally, how many lives do library books have (or rather, how many times can a library book be checked out before it is laid to rest)?

In the world of constant connectivity (and e-books), these are questions that publishing company HarperCollins recently had (though for online e-libraries), so they have decided that beginning March 7, e-books will only be allowed to be checked out 26 times. This is for financial reasons, as it isn't fair to the author of the publisher to have As explained in a recent New York Times article,

"The announcement was a reminder of the publishers’ squeamishness over having their e-books available in libraries. More people are using libraries for e-reading, a practice that does not require visiting a library in person, and is possible on many electronic devices, including the Nook and the iPad."

With the world of technology, it's sad to think that the tradition of checking out books from the library may be lost. It's comforting to know, however, that somewhere out there, there are publishing companies like HarperCollins that have decided to put a limit on how much their beloved books are viewed. E-books offer the potential for convenient reading. However, when it comes to publishing and money, it seems that some things will never change-whether in actual reality or virtual reality.