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from the today's-borrowers-are-tomorrow's-buyers dept.
In July, Macmillan CEO John Sargent outlined the changes in response to "growing fears that library lending was cannibalizing sales." On September 11, the American Library Association (ALA) started circulating a petition in hopes of pressuring Macmillan to not go through with its plan, which is scheduled to go into effect in November. "To treat libraries as an inferior consumer to the general population, it's the wrong thing to do," said Alan Inouye, director of the Office for Information Technology Policy at the ALA. "Libraries are generally held as amongst the highest esteemed institutions in the community."
"Allowing a library like the Los Angeles Public Library (which serves 18 million people) the same number of initial e-book copies as a rural Vermont library serving 1,200 people smacks of punishment, not support," librarian Jessamyn West wrote on CNN. She also points out that Sargent's claim that apps let people check out books in states and countries where they don't live "betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of how public libraries work." There are a few that let you pay for a library card regardless of where you live, but not many. Digital Trends reached out to Macmillan for comment but did not receive a response.
Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/macmillan-e-books-library-waiting-period/
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday September 16 2019, @08:21PM (2 children)
I'm fairly sure that most of the paper-book content in our county library system's card catalog is "virtual" - waiting for somebody to express interest in the title before ordering a copy of it. At least, that's what seemed to happen the last time I reserved a copy of an obscure-ish title that had been out for several years, I had a long wait before it was ready to pick up and when I picked it up it was brand new.
Word to McMillian: I stopped keeping printed roach food in my office and home about 15 years ago - everything I need is available, and easier to read and access as phosphors on screen; and those big shelves that I used to fill with books are better used for other things.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 4, Interesting) by DannyB on Monday September 16 2019, @09:02PM (1 child)
Most people using LCDs or LEDs or OLEDs instead of phosphors now. Big empty book shelves good for old computer equipment that is Junque. ("junque" is good stuff that is too good to throw away -- despite that is what will happen to it eventually anyway.)
Young people won't believe you if you say you used to get Netflix by US Postal Mail.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday September 16 2019, @11:32PM
Junque++ 👍
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0