Ebook publishers face potential price reductions
In the digital age, policymakers in states like Hawaii and Massachusetts are exploring e-book legislation, aiming to make digital books more accessible for public libraries. This movement is not a new phenomenon, as library advocates have been conversing with politicians in several other states about introducing e-book bills.
The Connecticut legislature passed a law aimed at reducing the cost of library e-books, and similar legislation has been introduced in other states. This legislation is a response to the high costs that libraries face when acquiring e-books and audiobooks. The average cost for an e-book is around $40, and for an audiobook, it's approximately $73; libraries must renew these licenses regularly.
Major publishers, who control approximately 80% of the trade book market in the United States, use specific pricing and lending models when selling digital content to distributors like OverDrive, Hoopla, and CloudLibrary. The "one copy, one user" model is common, where a library purchases a digital license for a single user to borrow the title at a time, resembling the physical book lending experience. Another widely used approach is the metered access (or concurrent use model), which allows multiple users to borrow the same e-book or audiobook simultaneously up to a fixed number of checkouts.
OverDrive, a prominent digital distributor for public libraries, offers a newer model called OverDrive Max, launched in April 2022. This model offers bundles of up to 100 loans for popular digital books with no expiration date, providing lower costs per user to encourage broader access.
Librarians may negotiate e-book prices similarly to print books, potentially paying less than the jacket price. However, the pricing for libraries tends to be significantly higher than consumer retail prices due to the ongoing license renewals libraries must pay for access rather than owning the content indefinitely.
Despite efforts in larger states like New York and Maryland to make e-books and audiobooks more affordable for public libraries, these attempts have been unsuccessful due to federal copyright law. Nevertheless, library advocates remain hopeful, as they continue to discuss e-book bills with policymakers across the nation.
Michael Kozlowski, who has written about audiobooks, e-books, and e-readers for eighteen years, shares insights from his experiences. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Kozlowski has observed the challenges libraries face in acquiring digital content and the potential for legislation to drive down costs and improve access.
[1] Data from late 2023 includes current terms each publisher charges libraries and the lending models they adhere to in Canada and the United States. [3] OverDrive, Hoopla, and CloudLibrary are examples of digital distributors for public libraries.
- In response to the high costs that libraries face in acquiring e-books and audiobooks, legislation has been introduced in various states, such as Connecticut, to reduce these costs.
- As a result of the ongoing licensing fees for digital content, the pricing for libraries tends to be significantly higher than consumer retail prices, making it a challenge for some public libraries to provide comprehensive digital books and audiobooks collections.
