YORK, Pa. — Libraries across the country are dealing with rising costs of eBooks and Pennsylvania libraries are no exception.
York County Libraries says the demand for eBooks has gone up by 5% over the last five years from 11% to 16%, but that 34% of its collections budget is dedicated to purchasing them.
"We shouldn't be forced to choose between paying these exorbitant fees for eBooks or leaving our members with long wait times," said Robert Lambert, the president of York County Libraries. "The way they're priced now, they are creating a new digital divide."
Lambert says the publishers' system of licensing is outdated and not in line with technological realities.
"They're treating digital files like physical books," Lambert said. "It hurts libraries and our patrons."
The costs increase further, as not only can eBooks cost around three times more for a library to purchase than a physical book, but the purchase has to be renewed after a period of time.
The Association of American Publishers says efforts in other states to legislate the cost of e-books are harmful to authors and creators, but Lambert says both publishers and legislative leaders need to take action to ensure that more taxpayer money doesn’t go to waste.
"Publishers need to adopt sustainable pricing models that acknowledge the library's role in promoting literacy and expanding the market for their content," Lambert said. "I think legislative action may be necessary to clarify how copyright law and related rights should apply to the digital lending practices of libraries so that we can ensure that there's a balance between the publisher's rights and the public's access to these materials."