Library Board Passes Resolution Urging New Jersey Legislature to End Unfair eBook Licensing Practices

The Board of Trustees of the Westfield Memorial Library has adoptedResolution 26-03, formally expressing the Library's strong support for New Jersey Senate Bill1674 and Assembly Bill 4956 and calling on the New Jersey Legislature to enact thesemeasures without delay. The legislation, introduced by Senators Andrew Zwicker and James Beach, and Assemblywoman Lisa Swain, would eliminate unfair costs and terms for libraries to obtain electronic materials from publishers, distributors, and other entities.

The Board's action reflects a crisis that has quietly been building in public libraries across the state and nation. Under current industry practice, publishers routinely charge public libraries approximately 3 times more than what individual consumers pay for the same digital title.

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Licenses frequently expire after a fixed number of loans or a limited term of years, forcing libraries to use taxpayer funds to repurchase content they have already paid for.

"eBooks are an essential service for many people in our community, especially those with visual impairments who rely on adjustable text or audio," says Allen McGinley, Library Director. "When publishers charge inflated prices and restrictive terms to public libraries, the people who pay the

price are the Westfield taxpayers."

Other states and districts are advancing similar bills, including Connecticut, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Washington DC. In Illinois, the legislation, known as the Digital Library Protection Act, passed the House with a unanimous 99-0 bipartisan vote.

"This is a matter of fiscal responsibility, as well as equity," McGinley said. "Every dollar a libraryspends repurchasing a title it already licensed, or paying a publisher a premium that no consumer would ever face, is a dollar not spent on literacy and other critical services for our community."

The Board's resolution urges state legislators representing Westfield to add their names as co-sponsors of the bills, and calls on the Legislature to take prompt and favorable action toward enactment.

About Westfield Memorial Library

Westfield Memorial Library is a public library dedicated to providing free and equitable access to information, resources, and cultural experiences for residents of Westfield and the surrounding community. Through innovative programming and responsive services, the Library advances literacy, lifelong learning, and civic engagement.