HarperCollins Limits Number of Times Libraries May Lend Ebooks

[dancingalone]

Another interesting clash as technology changes the existing landscape.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/a-limit-on-lending-e-books/

I'm not sure which side to support. A limit of 26 loans per ebook license seems too little, but I also understand the issue of hard copy books wearing out eventually and needing replacement while ebooks do not.

 

[granfire]

Another interesting clash as technology changes the existing landscape.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/a-limit-on-lending-e-books/

I'm not sure which side to support. A limit of 26 loans per ebook license seems too little, but I also understand the issue of hard copy books wearing out eventually and needing replacement while ebooks do not.

But 26 times is nothing for a hot ticket item....even the books survive that with ease, bar any accidents...
(not to mention that a worn out book probably does not get replaced...)

 

[dancingalone]

But 26 times is nothing for a hot ticket item....even the books survive that with ease, bar any accidents...
(not to mention that a worn out book probably does not get replaced...)

My local library buys three copies of bestsellers like the latest Grisham or Stephen King or whatnot. They sell the extra copies in a book sale within a year if they are still around since the demand for the title has fallen off drastically by then.

I'm very curious what the average number of loans for a book really is before it is removed from circulation.

 

[granfire]

My local library buys three copies of bestsellers like the latest Grisham or Stephen King or whatnot. They sell the extra copies in a book sale within a year if they are still around since the demand for the title has fallen off drastically by then.

I'm very curious what the average number of loans for a book really is before it is removed from circulation.

I suppose it depends on the book. Sadly the good books are too often dropped by publishers and go out of print...
Something like a Barbara Cartland is atm pretty much irreplaceable, with copies going for around 40 bucks for a hard cover - if you can find them...

Other authors are pretty much constantly out.

But 26 is really a low number...
(shucks another reason why I don't like electronic books much...you by the real thing, the publisher can't come back and say you can't read it anymore...)

 

[bushidomartialarts]

26 isn't too far from the industry average (30-35) before books need to be replaced anyway. Keep in mind that at 1 month checkout times, that's still two years of constant circulation.

Seems like a poor choice on HC's part, though. If they set up a library subscription for each book with an annual renewal fee - at the exact prices they'd make after 26 uses - I doubt they'd have seen this kind of outc

 

[jks9199]

26 isn't too far from the industry average (30-35) before books need to be replaced anyway. Keep in mind that at 1 month checkout times, that's still two years of constant circulation.

Seems like a poor choice on HC's part, though. If they set up a library subscription for each book with an annual renewal fee - at the exact prices they'd make after 26 uses - I doubt they'd have seen this kind of outc

I agree; that would have been a better tactic. I see their concern and recognize the issue -- but I think it's been presented wrong. An annual or even semiannual licensing fee would have been a better choice.

Do libraries have any tools to prevent multiple users from "checking out" an e-book? I mean, each copy of a given hard copy book can only be read by one person at a time... but the same "copy" of an ebook could, in theory be checked out to every single user...

 

[dancingalone]

Do libraries have any tools to prevent multiple users from "checking out" an e-book? I mean, each copy of a given hard copy book can only be read by one person at a time... but the same "copy" of an ebook could, in theory be checked out to every single user...

In short, yes. My library contracts with overdrive.com to administer their ebook lending. When you 'check out' through overdrive.com, they keep a record of the borrowing and the ebook cannot be lent to another user until the lending period to the first user has expired.