Vailey Oehlke

Oehlke is director of libraries at Multnomah County Library.

Your public libraries are being threatened by corporate interests.

Multnomah County Library and other public libraries provide open access to books, materials, programs, technology and first-rate customer service. Public libraries are unique institutions because they exist solely to further the common good and to serve you regardless of how you look, what you believe, where you were born, what language you speak, who you love or any other way that you identify.

Public libraries are far more than buildings with books. As technology and the internet have transformed the way we live, work and connect with one another, libraries have also transformed to the digital age. Multnomah County Library offers more than 800,000 digital titles, including e-books, downloadable audiobooks, streaming videos and music. More than 300,000 of those titles are e-books.

Large publishers are now trying to restrict digital content lending at public libraries by excessively hiking prices for e-books and audiobooks. They also announced plans to require libraries to re-purchase digital content after a certain number of months or checkouts; and restricting libraries ability to buy new e-books.

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Macmillan Publishers, one of the nations biggest publishers representing authors including Oprah Winfrey, Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb, and Rainbow Rowell, has announced an eight-week embargo on new e-books for libraries. This embargo means that for the first eight weeks after a book is released, libraries will only be able to purchase a single copy of new Macmillan e-books.

This new policy will hurt readers across Oregon, because all libraries, no matter the size of the community they serve, will be limited to one copy. That means one copy to share for the 800,000 living in Multnomah County and one copy for the 138 people living in the town of Agness, in southern Oregon.

These restrictive policies from publishers will shut out those in our communities who rely on public libraries for access to books and resources they couldnt afford otherwise. For many people, borrowing books in an e-format is critical because of an accessibility need. As one patron said, I love reading [e-books] with enlarged fonts and white text on a dark display, it is so much easier on my deteriorating eyes. Another said ...our family has first-hand experience with how necessary e-books are for people with dyslexia.

Like many industries, libraries have been disrupted by the technological revolution. Over the past five years, the popularity of e-books has exploded. What once began as a complementary collection to our core print collection has become an essential service for many. Multnomah County Library is now the sixth top-circulating library in the country for digital content, with 5,000 e-book checkouts every single day (1.7 million annually). E-book checkouts in Multnomah County have grown by 210% in the past five years.

Libraries purchase e-books at a price that is often four times the price of a retail copy. For example, the book Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell published by Hachette Book Group costs $15.99 for a retail copy on Amazon Kindle but libraries pay $65 per copy for a two-year license. Publishers require libraries to re-purchase e-books after a specific number of checkouts or every two years, no matter how many times theyve been checked out.

With these limitations in place, we estimate that Multnomah County Library will soon spend at least 25 percent of its e-book budget on re-licensing items already in the collection. These excessive costs will prevent the library from buying a broader range of titles or buying more copies of popular titles in order to reduce wait times.

Publishers unfair e-book practices not only hurt libraries and readers but also authors, who are now being forced to choose between making a living and supporting the mission of the public library. Libraries have a long history of supporting authors. Every day, patrons browse the shelves or the online catalog to find new books to enjoy; they get reading recommendations from library staff; and they attend author readings and programs. Libraries generate revenue for authors and publishers and serve as a free source of marketing in fact, there are more public libraries in the United States than McDonalds or Starbucks.

These harsh and unfair restrictions on public libraries are a troubling trend that we must stop.

This issue will impact public libraries big and small. Whether you are a patron of Multnomah County Library or one of the other numerous public libraries across Oregon, your voice matters. Please sign the American Library Association petition to stop Macmillans e-book embargo at ebooksforall.org.

The rest is here:
Opinion: Publishers are blocking your access to e-books at local libraries - OregonLive