The Battle Over E-Books

While e-readers continue to grow in popularity, the is in a bind when it comes to expanding its digital book collection.

Earlier this month, HarperCollins, a major book publisher, changed its e-book lending policy, limiting the number of times a library can loan out a particular title.

According to a formula decided upon by the publisher, the magic number is 26 times, or roughly a year. After that, the book will self-destruct and the library will have to buy the title again.

What’s even more challenging for the library, is that two major publishers won’t sell their digital books to the e-book distributor that the library uses. Both Simon & Schuster and Macmillan do not license their books to OverDrive, the library’s e-book distributor that handles the digital rights management.

“It’s just a complete shift from how we’ve done business in the past,” said Kristen McCallum, reference librarian.

Like regular books that the library circulates, only one given e-book may be checked out at a time. Customers must place a hold on a book if it is already being used, and there is a 14-day limitation for a check out. After two weeks are up, e-books are designed to expire and cease to work, McCallum explained.

“We’re following the same model as regular books that we check out,” McCallum said.

But there is one difference between a paper book and an e-book: ownership. Generally speaking, the library owns its paper collection. However, like software, it must buy a license to an e-book and not the digital book itself. Therefore, publishers like HarperCollins can set limitations like the 26-checkout rule.

Vicky Tobias, head of adult services, said that this is the case for all eight libraries that are part of the North Suburban Digital Consortium. Instead of the Algonquin Public Library buying its own e-books, it shares them among libraries in Crystal Lake, Dundee, Lake Zurich, Indian Trails, McHenry, Park Ridge and Skokie.

Tobias said the consortium has roughly 3,300 e-books in its collection, and the Algonquin library alone circulates about 400 e-books each month.

While some libraries have boycotted HarperCollins e-books, Tobias said no decision has been made as to whether the consortium is going to follow suit.

McCallum called it a “missed opportunity” on the publisher’s behalf to use libraries showcase their product.

“Libraries want to promote reading,” McCallum said, “so the publishers are not helping our situation.”