Thursday 24 April 2014

Libraries seek new law on ebooks

Regular readers of these blogs will know that I am a big supporter of libraries so I am delighted that the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) is running a campaign asking why libraries do not have the right to lend ebooks?

Current European copyright law means that publishers do not need to license libraries to lend ebooks at all. This means that the choice of ebooks available to borrow is limited and not all local authorities lend ebooks.

Out of the six major trade publishers in the UK, only three offer some of their ebooks to libraries and more than 85% of ebooks are not available to public libraries in the UK, says CILIP.

CILIP says this matters because almost half the UK population (47%) have used a public library in the past 12 months and ‘libraries play a vital role building literacy skills and providing access to information and reading to build a knowledgeable, informed and connected society‘.

Ebook sales made up 29% of the total UK book market in 2013 and this is predicted to grow and CILIP says: “The fact that many ebooks are not accessible through public libraries means that this source of information, knowledge and ideas is cut off from families, communities and businesses. Libraries should be able to lend ebooks as they do printed books.”

CILIP wants to see a European copyright law that allows libraries to fulfil their mission of providing everyone with the opportunity to read, and access information and knowledge and provides reasonable payment for authors and publishers. They want:
To provide library users with the latest e-books as we do printed book
To buy e-books at fair prices and on reasonable terms
All citizens – not just those who can afford it – to benefit from free access to e-books in public libraries
Authors to receive fair payment for the lending of e-books as they do for printed books by extending Public Lending Right to include the loan of e-books by public libraries
You can sign up as an individual supporter or as an organisation of the campaign and find out more at http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip/advocacy-campaigns-awards/advocacy-campaigns/ebooks/ebooks-right-e-read
John Dean

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