A fumble on the way to ebook sustainability

HarperCollins’s decision to limit the circulation of library ebooks to 26 checkouts a year has generated one of the biggest storms in our profession in years—complete with calls to boycott the publisher.

The upside of all this? Library ebook models are finally on the front burner—with the story making headlines in the mainstream media, where many readers probably learned for the first time that libraries even circulate ebooks.

I’m no HarperCollins apologist. I don’t think this is a wise model for either libraries or publishers. Although the company says it consulted with librarians about the “26 circs” model, I can’t help but wonder if it spoke with any children’s, young adult, or school librarians. After all, a popular kids’ book can burn through 26 circs in just a few months!

However, I oppose a HarperCollins boycott. It’s an understandable reaction from librarians and, on a deeper level, serves as a lightning rod for the powerlessness many of us feel when faced with an evolving ebook strategy. But by focusing on HarperCollins, we simplify a more complex issue.

Of the “big six” publishers, Hachette (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), Penguin, and Random House license ebooks to libraries with models (higher prices for frontlist, a range of prices for older content, and unlimited circ) that most librarians consider reasonable. But two of the big six—Macmillan and Simon & Schuster—don’t license ebooks to libraries at all.

What message are these publishers sending readers? That when you want an ebook, forget about the library.

Then there’s the matter of pricing, which is all over the place. One YA publisher is even licensing its fiction titles at $50.97, when Amazon is selling the equivalent hardcover at $11.55 and the Kindle edition for $9. Is $50 for a newish vampire novel (popularity unknown), albeit with unlimited circs, more reasonable than HarperCollins’s model? I’m not so sure.

Two things need to happen as libraries build their ebook collections (especially since our technology survey, coming next month, shows that school libraries expect to make significant investments in ebooks over the next five years).

First, libraries need more proactive—rather than passive—leadership in this area. Apparently, in June, the American Library Association is launching a website that’s dedicated to developing ebook models and will be hosting a virtual membership meeting to consider equitable access to ebooks. Let’s hope this isn’t too little, too late—and that youth librarians are actively involved.

Secondly, publishers need to look to libraries as partners in developing literacy and creating readers. If HarperCollins’s model is adopted by other publishers—or other draconian measures take effect—the impact will be chilling. Libraries, with their beleaguered budgets, will not only be forced to buy fewer copies of ebooks, they will end up buying fewer titles overall. Our collections will become less rich, less diverse, as libraries pass on new authors and less popular titles. And that won’t be good for anyone.

As bookstores, unfortunately, continue to close, libraries are often the last brick-and-mortar outposts where both young and old gather, get advice on what to read next, and discover new authors’ titles—which some readers will go on to purchase. As formats shift, libraries are poised to become even more vital to the reading public, not less so.

We just need the ebooks to do our job.

Brian Kenney
Editor-in-Chief
bkenney@mediasourceinc.com