Internet Archive’s Post

Oral arguments in the appeal of Hachette v. Internet Archive begins in 2 days. As a librarian, my support is 100% behind the Internet Archive and the accessibility of books that would otherwise be extremely difficult (and in some cases impossible) to access. Book publishers should not hold a monopoly on ebook technology and controlled digital lending. Doing so allows them to take away those books at any time from you, the reader/owner- and with it, all the knowledge within those pages. As a book owner, you are allowed to do certain things with your book- loan it, burn it, sell it, throw it out. A library (owner of lots of books) is allowed to loan their books out too (and sell them, throw them out, etc.). Internet Archive, a library, simply wants to loan their books out digitally- and did- during the pandemic when all the libraries were closed. And that's when the publishers took notice.

The Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library aiming to provide universal access to all knowledge, was recently asked to remove nearly half a million titles from its free digital library due to copyright issues raised by major publishers. If I found out that 500,000 books had been removed from my library, I would seek information on the reasons, assess the impact on users, communicate transparently, explore alternative sources, advocate for balanced solutions, and adapt policies to prevent future issues. #InternetArchive #DigitalLibrary #Copyright #AccessToKnowledge #Publishing #LibraryManagement

How to Publish Public Domain Books and Why You Should https://lnkd.in/gEarNpm6

Publishers, we assert, need libraries. Would print-equivalent library digital prices, even under licensing, really disadvantage publishers—and their authors—when a balanced print book market has existed with libraries for hundreds of years? We think not. Many more great insights on the state of the library ebook market from Michael Blackwell and Carmi Parker! https://lnkd.in/gk72di3u

The increasing cost for digital audio books for public libraries is justifiably making some noise More people are getting clued into this issue and I think we will see more articles both in library journals and mainstream news. According to an article byMichael Blackwell and Candi Parker, public library costs for e-audio from the Big Five publishers is almost 4 times the costs for the same consumer title. See the article here https://lnkd.in/gbgWM7NX

A Book Is a Book Is a Book—Except When It’s an e-Book https://lnkd.in/e-qiQ__Z

The Massachusetts state legislature is considering a new state ebook bill (H.3239) that would allow libraries to purchase ebooks just like physical books. Public libraries currently pay up to five or six times as much for an e-book as compared to a hard copy, and those e-book licenses generally expire after a certain amount of duration or number of checkouts. This model is not sustainable, and it's certainly not a good use of the public's tax dollars. But as you can imagine, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) would rather keep that arrangement. Check out this quick article, which breaks down the AAP's opposition, and why that opposition is misguided. As David Leonard, President of the Boston Public Library, said, "Doing this can make reading more accessible to everyone in our state and ensure libraries have the digital collections our towns need." Passing this bill is the right thing to do. Source: https://lnkd.in/g-8bgHUC Good for you, State of Massachusetts. 🏆

Despite the U.S.A recently turning back to our long history of book banning, Libraries are important. And they need to own their ebooks just as they do a physical copy. "the lawsuit hinges on the question of whether ebooks are books, subject to the existing laws governing the sale of books, or whether the publishers can redefine ebooks as temporary, rental-only media–a new class of unownable goods, like streaming-only films from Disney or subscription-only software from Microsoft. But libraries must have the option to buy and own their books–all their books, including ebooks–and own them absolutely, like an apple." https://lnkd.in/eVGcnMJa

Do you intend to self-publish your debut book? Visit this comprehensive resource to learn everything you need to know about the different parts of a book. Find out about a book's title page, copyright page, foreword, chapters, and more in the front matter, body, and back matter! #SelfPublishing #IndeeAuthors #BookPublishing #LeadersPress https://lnkd.in/eGG95jPj

Do you intend to self-publish your debut book? Visit this comprehensive resource to learn everything you need to know about the different parts of a book. Find out about a book's title page, copyright page, foreword, chapters, and more in the front matter, body, and back matter! #SelfPublishing #IndeeAuthors #BookPublishing #LeadersPress https://lnkd.in/gQQ_jwBc