Core Ebooks Interest Group

Hi, all,

I hope this does not seem self-promoting, but last Friday an article I wrote was published on Words & Money: Librarians Want the Big Five Publishers to Negotiate 'Fair' Digital License Terms with Libraries. He...

Sorry you have to look at a photo of me.

It is on ReadersFirst's position papers called the Library License Standards Project:    https://www.readersfirst.org/position-papers 

There are three papers, but the article concentrates only on the first.

The idea is to start a conversation to get better terms for library digital content.

No doubt some will think our group's proposed terms too favorable to publishers. But based on what we pay for print, and thus what has seemed "fair" over the years, I think we are suggesting something librarians could live with and the publishers can't say is unreasonable. It would double the number of digital titles we could get and prevent having to get the same title over and over. The proposal may seem a compromise. It will not perfectly appeal to anybody. I doubt a set of terms can be developed that would suit every library.   

I have not received, and don't expect to receive, comment from any of the Big 5 publishers. They tend remain silent as libraries ask for fair terms. Perhaps they will think about the proposal. I hope so. With ebook legislation passing, it seems a good idea at least to start talking about what might be "reasonable." If we could get even one to talk, and, I hope, act, we will be making progress. 

Thank you to all the members of our working group, and especially to Carmi Parker, for all the work that went into developing this proposal.

It could well be that only action, legislative or otherwise, will force the big publishers to change. But they can't say we in libraries aren't willing to talk.

Michael

Michael Blackwell