Ever wonder why there are so few titles available as eBooks in our catalog? The answer is simple, but the solution is not. Many publishers (Macmillan Publishing, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group, Brilliance Audio, and Hachette Book Group) will not sell or license eBooks to libraries.
Your library can purchase a title from one of the above publishers in various formats – large or regular print, hard copy or paperback or even on a CD. However, the publishers will not sell the eBook to the library. The publishers are treating eBooks differently due to something call digital rights management (DRM) or digital rights content.
What can we do as consumers? Let the publishers know we are disappointed with their decision not to sell their eBooks to libraries. Write to the publishers, spread the word throughout our communities, put up signs in our libraries, post messages on our websites, be proactive. Make a call, send an email (contact information below) to the publishers not selling eBooks to libraries.
As a profession, we should begin looking at the Digital Rights Management, the copyright law, among other avenues that will allow libraries to lend digital items in the same manner as the physical item. I contend, that eContent is simply another format.
Macmillan Publishing – customerservice@mpsvirginia.com (212) 226-7521
Simon & Schuster- simonandschuster.com/about/contact_us (212) 698-7000
Hachette Book Group- customer.service@hbgusa.com (212) 364-1100
Penguin Group – ecommerce@us.penguingroup.com (212) 366-2000
Brilliance Audio – libsales@brillianceaudio.com (616) 846-5256