Comments on: Shocker! Up to $2,500 a year said to be saved by a family of four borrowing 10 public library items a month http://www.teleread.org/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:40:27 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.org/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/comment-page-1/#comment-994831 Rob Preece Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:37:05 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/#comment-994831 Of course libraries are next. In the UK, at least, and I suspect other parts of Europe, libraries already pay royalties based on the number of times a work is checked out. Realistically, I don't think this will fly any time in the near future--but even David's Teleread concept includes a well-stocked library with compensation to authors. Finding ways to compensate authors in a world where books are essentially freely exchangeable files is going to be the challenge of the next decade. I truly hope there's a solution--and I think affordable eBooks is a key part of that solution. Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com Of course libraries are next. In the UK, at least, and I suspect other parts of Europe, libraries already pay royalties based on the number of times a work is checked out.

Realistically, I don’t think this will fly any time in the near future–but even David’s Teleread concept includes a well-stocked library with compensation to authors.

Finding ways to compensate authors in a world where books are essentially freely exchangeable files is going to be the challenge of the next decade. I truly hope there’s a solution–and I think affordable eBooks is a key part of that solution.

Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

]]> By: Chris Strauber http://www.teleread.org/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/comment-page-1/#comment-994824 Chris Strauber Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:27:16 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/#comment-994824 Oops, link sensibly vaporized. Employ Google to search for "Maine library calculator" and notice the complete rundown of library services and their market values. Oops, link sensibly vaporized. Employ Google to search for “Maine library calculator” and notice the complete rundown of library services and their market values.

]]> By: Chris Strauber http://www.teleread.org/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/comment-page-1/#comment-994823 Chris Strauber Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:25:51 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/#comment-994823 I'd guess Parade used something like this calculator on the Maine State Library's website to do their calculations. Cheers, and thanks for the good library coverage. Chris the college librarian I’d guess Parade used something like this calculator on the Maine State Library’s website to do their calculations.

Cheers, and thanks for the good library coverage.

Chris the college librarian

]]> By: ficbot http://www.teleread.org/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/comment-page-1/#comment-994819 ficbot Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:19:48 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/12/30/shocker-up-to-2500-a-year-said-to-be-saved-by-a-family-of-four-borrowing-10-public-library-items-a-month/#comment-994819 I still remember an article I read (and blogged about here) which talked about the effects on the community when libraries were updated. They talked about how people don't just go there to borrow books, but how they become meeting places and community centres for many in the community, how it can economically and socially invigorate an area too when a library is renovated because it creates this feeling of something exciting going on and people respond to that. Our library system here even runs author events (which they charge money for) which can be revenue streams for both the library and the authors. If authors really want to make *money* (as opposed to just doing art for the heck of it) there is a ton of potential in this day and age for them to think outside the box, rather than taxing readers and book buyers until they kill the industry altogether by pricing their product right out of people's reach. I still remember an article I read (and blogged about here) which talked about the effects on the community when libraries were updated. They talked about how people don’t just go there to borrow books, but how they become meeting places and community centres for many in the community, how it can economically and socially invigorate an area too when a library is renovated because it creates this feeling of something exciting going on and people respond to that. Our library system here even runs author events (which they charge money for) which can be revenue streams for both the library and the authors. If authors really want to make *money* (as opposed to just doing art for the heck of it) there is a ton of potential in this day and age for them to think outside the box, rather than taxing readers and book buyers until they kill the industry altogether by pricing their product right out of people’s reach.

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