Comments on: Notice to publishers: curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal

By: Theresa Bakker

Theresa Bakker — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 19:19:17 +0000

Here’s my letter to publishers (further to my post above):

Plagiarize at will. Please.

Dear Sir or Madam:

As an avid reader, I am concerned with your company’s extremely unfair policy regarding the sale of eBooks to public libraries. I am writing to voice my objection and to advise you of the actions that I and other readers will be taking until your policies are changed.

Over the last two years, the demand for eBooks has grown by leaps and bounds, and many library patrons (including myself) are moving to eReaders as their choice for content delivery. Changing your policies to open your e-content to public libraries for a fair price will profit not only your company but will also mean more readers will find your titles and have the opportunity to discover new authors.

There is already a secure DRM (Digital Rights Management) solution in use by all providers of e-content to libraries which protects your authors’ intellectual property and consequently your profits. Further, studies show that people who borrow library books also buy them – in every format.

I would ask you, as a leading publisher, to do the right thing and open your e-content to public libraries for a fair price immediately.

Until this change occurs, however, I am personally resolved to take the following actions (as well as to urge all avid readers to do the same:

1) I will purchase no further e-content for personal use from your company as long as you refuse to deal fairly with libraries. I will only buy such books USED, in paper format. Once I have finished reading them, these books will be donated immediately to my local public library.

2) Whenever I can afford it, I will be purchasing a USED paper book published by your company from a reseller and donating it to my local public library. As you are aware, used book prices are as low as a penny plus shipping. This will maximize the circulation of books published by your company, while depriving you of any further profit from the sale of that book.

3) I will also be circulating this message as widely as I can, and suggesting that others do the same until such time as your company changes its policy.

I hope that you, as the publisher of many books that I have enjoyed over the years, will do the right thing and make all published works available for purchase by libraries at reasonable cost.

Sincerely,

By: Theresa Bakker

Theresa Bakker — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 18:37:42 +0000

I’ve got some suggestions for folks who want to not only protest these publishers’ actions but also to take concrete action that will hit them in their pocketbooks:
1) If you own a paper book from one of these publishers, and you’re done with it, donate it to your local public library. This will maximize the number of uses the book gets, and minimize the publisher’s profit from the sale of that paper book. Do this as often as possible until the offending publisher changes its policies. Write a letter to the publisher telling them what you’re doing.
2) If you can afford it, select a popular book from one of the offending publishers as often as you can. Buy a copy of that book USED on Amazon or another reseller (prices can be as low as $.01 plus shipping) and donate it to your local public library. Used books do not profit the offending publishers a second time, and you will maximize the number of uses the book gets, while minimizing the offending publisher’s profit from the sale of that book. Do this as often as possible until the offending publisher changes its policies. Write a letter to the publisher telling them what you’re doing.
3) Repeat as often as possible until change occurs.
I’d love this message to go viral … Maybe libraries could publish wish lists for books they’d like to receive, so that folks will know what is needed.
In the words of TV anchor Ed Schultz, “Let’s get to work!”

By: The Growing Pains of E-Books « Jenny Arch

The Growing Pains of E-Books « Jenny Arch — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:33:47 +0000

[...] This comes as a surprise to many library users, which means librarians must do a better job of raising public awareness, notes San Rafael Public Library Director Sarah Houghton (a.k.a. the Librarian in [...]

By: Why unglue when you can buy the book? (For starters, you can’t.)

Why unglue when you can buy the book? (For starters, you can’t.) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:34:19 +0000

[...] Five of the Big 6 publishers, collectively responsible for about half the (non-self-published) book market, including many of the best-known current titles, won’t sell ebooks to libraries. (One, Penguin, has just started a limited pilot with the New York Public Library, but to my thinking this is firmly in the “wait and see” camp.) [...]

By: Be the Boss of Your Own San Rafael Chocolate Business

Be the Boss of Your Own San Rafael Chocolate Business — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 11:06:17 +0000

[...] for an explanation of this chocolate opportunity in San Rafael. Your San Rafael Chocolate Guru "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" was a bestseller among San Rafael entrepreneurs, parents and San Rafael home b…ss" href="http://www.healthy-chocolate-sales.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">San Rafael [...]

By: and more regarding Librarian in Black and also about ebooks « studiumlibrarios

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:53:04 +0000

[...] Addressing an issue I discussed yesterday, and with what is possibly my favorite post title that I’ve come across: “Notice to publishers: curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal.” [...]

By: Notice to publishers: curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal | Tech Breakfast

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:47:29 +0000

[...] Notice to publishers: curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal—Librarian in Black blog, February 10, 2012 This entry was posted in ebooks. Bookmark the permalink. ← Tablet, e-reader ownership nearly doubles over holidays [...]

By: 5 years from now

5 years from now — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:24:16 +0000

I don’t think I will be out of line predicting that 5-10 years from now most U.S. readers will prefer ebooks. This will be especially true for the younger generations. With publishers refusing to sell ebooks to libraries, the role libraries served for centuries could significantly erode in less than a decade. Where will it leave us as a society? Clearly libraries’ appeal to publishers is not working. The situation is getting worse, not better. Penguin reported more than 26% profits increase in 2010 and another 5% in 2011. http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/aboutus/pressrelease/penguin_group_earnings_release_022811.html Apparently these profit increases are not enough. They are determined to squeeze out every dime they can. It seems without a legislation that will deny publishers the right to limit the format in which they sell books, the big six are not likely to give ground. I would also place more stock in appealing to authors rather than publishers. With many authors attributing their love of reading to libraries, I hope they will be disturbed to hear that young generation of readers will be denied the same opportunities.

By: renting bytes: the case for digital non-ownership

renting bytes: the case for digital non-ownership — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:37:52 +0000

[...] program of ebooks by libraries wouldn’t exist. In fact note that Macmillan, which is among publishers that refuse to give ebooks to libraries, is one of those moving to DRM-free ebooks. These facts have a powerful relationship to each other [...]

By: TechieThing #2 – eBooks and eReaders! « TenTechieThings

TechieThing #2 – eBooks and eReaders! « TenTechieThings — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:30:00 +0000

[...] should we alert the public to write letters to publishers, as some librarians are encouraging (http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2012/02/ebooksign.html)? Please share your thoughts. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]