Libraries and the e-book challenge

Uldis ZariņšNational Library of Latvia

12.05.2014

Public mission of libraries

• To make all kinds of knowledge and information readily available to its users

• Provide services on the basis of equality oa access for all(UNESCO Public Library Manifesto)

Public mission of libraries

• Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.(The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19)

Legal framework for lending

• Public lending – a specific exception of rental and lending rights providing the right to lend books to readers

• Based on the concept of exhaustion of the distribution right (first sale doctrine)

Public lending

• The lending of published materials by libraries should not be restricted by legislation and that contractual provisions, for example within licensing agreements, should not override reasonable lending of electronic resources by library and information staff.(IFLA position on public lending)

E-lending

• E-books are not distributed rather made available

• Public lending does not apply to e-books• E-books are licenced rather than sold• Contracts override exception and limitations

rights provided to libraries by law

E-lending

• Publishers are in the driver seat• Libraries cannot procure the content demanded

by library users on reasonable contractual terms

E-lending

Licencing terms

• Price• Concurrent lending• Number of loans• Access conditions• Printing and copying• DRM

Library needs

• All e-books should be available to libraries at the time of publication at a fair price

• Libraries should be permitted to provide access to e-books remotely

• Libraries should have an option for permanent storage of an e-book (ownership model)(EBLIDA Key Principles on the acquisition of and access to E books‐ by libraries)

IFLA principles for e-lending

• Libraries should be able to license and/or purchase all commercially available eBooks under a variety of terms and conditions dependent upon the nature of the work and the rights provided to libraries and their users such as: – Number of simultaneous users– The period of time the library has the right to make the

eBook available– The option of outright purchase with permanent availability– A limit on the total number of loans permitted– Publication date and retail sales

IFLA principles for e-lending

• Given a mutual respect for copyright on the part of libraries and rightsholders, any eBook licensing/purchase options offered to libraries must respect copyright limitations and exceptions available to libraries and their users in legislation including if applicable: – The right to copy a portion of the work– Reformat the work for preservation purposes if it is licensed or

purchased for permanent access– Provide an interlibrary loan copy– Reformat a work to enable print disabled access

• Libraries should have the right to bypass a technological protection measure for the purpose of exercising any non-infringing purposes

IFLA principles for e-lending

• eBooks available from libraries should be usable on all commonly available eReading devices.

• Libraries and library users must be able to control the use of a user’s personal information including their library digital reading choices

• When publishers and/or authors and/or resellers withhold library access to eBooks, national legislation should require such access under reasonable terms and conditions.

E-lending - Denmark

• 4171 titles, 681 000 loans• Pay per loan model (2 EUR per loan, out of

which 1,5 EUR go to publishers, paid by library)

E-lending - Netherlands

• 5000 titles• Pay per loan (13 EUR / 20 EUR per 18 titles /

free, paid by user; 0,60 – 0,70 EUR paid by library)

E-lending - Stockholm

• 8000 titles, 240 000 loans• Pay per loan (1,68 / 2,80 EUR per loan, paid by

library)• E-books as service , no download, no purchase

Why e-lending in libraries is important?

• Libraries are one of the most effective discovery channels

• Library users buy more books• Libraries meet the market demand for those

consumers willing to pay zero

Thank you!