Burnaby Public Library is joining the chorus of Canadian libraries voicing their dissatisfaction with the steep pricing of eBooks, saying that publishers and librarians need to work together more closely to establish an affordable purchasing model.
In February, the Canadian Public Libraries for Fair eBook Pricing coalition wrote an open letter to multinational publishers advocating for a sustainable and flexible pricing model, allowing libraries to pay for only what they need, according to their size and means. As a result, publishing company Penguin Random House has established a $65 price cap on its eBooks.
Although Burnaby Public Library is not a member of the group, Miriam Moses, acquisitions manager in charge of buying for the library’s four branches, said BPL supports the coalition and has benefitted from the gains they’ve managed – but pricing is still far from fair.
“It’s kind of all over the map. Each publisher has their own way of charging,” said Moses. “(The pricing) puts an unreasonable strain on our budget to try and satisfy the demand.”
eBook rentals only account for 2 to 3 per cent of BPL’s circulation, according to Moses, in part because pricing has limited their eBook selection. In some cases, the library pays triple the cost of a single physical copy for an eBook of the same title. In addition, eBook licensing is often restrictive. Some licenses have an expiry date, requiring branches to re-purchase copies after a period of 12 months or 26 uses, and all of BPL’s eBooks are restricted to cardholders with a Burnaby address.
Moses believes Penguin Random Houses’ recent price cap is, “still expensive, but more palatable,” and in order for all multinational publishers to lower costs to an affordable rate, Moses said creators, publishers, and libraries need to stop blaming each other for elevated prices and instead work together to address pricing.
“If you can step back a bit, it’s a little amusing,” she said. “No one really got together … they have now.”
The modest movement towards cooperation gives Moses hope that purchasing eBooks will become more cost-effective for libraries, allowing them to keep up with the increase in digital demand.
“There is potential for publishers to come to that understanding that we’re all symbiotic and that we can work together better than we currently are.”
