ALA calls for Penguin Group to restore e-book access to library patrons
Printer-friendly versionFor Immediate Release
Tue, 11/22/2011 - 13:54
Contact: Carrie S. Russell
Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP)
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, the Penguin Group (USA), announced it was discontinuing the lending of new e-book titles to library patrons. In addition, library patrons with the Amazon Kindle e-reader will no longer be able to check-out any Penguin titles from libraries.
American Library Association (ALA) President-elect Maureen Sullivan released the following statement regarding the abrupt change in e-book access:
“Penguin Group’s recent action to limit access to new e-book titles to libraries has serious ramifications. The issue for library patrons is loss of access to books, period. Once again, readers are the losers.
“If Penguin has an issue with Amazon, we ask that they deal with Amazon directly and not hold libraries hostage to a conflict of business models.
“This situation is one more log thrown onto the fire of libraries’ abilities to provide access to books – in this case titles they’ve already purchased. Penguin should restore access for library patrons now.”
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 60,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.
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Comments
E-books and power
Yes this is exactly what will happen if we all go e-only. The publishers can simply do whatever they want and pull the plug on content whenever they want. Say NO
No Choice
Libraries don’t have a choice about going e-only, because the publishers are going to stop printing books sooner rather than later. Inside of ten years, if not quicker. Already, a ton of books are “published”, best selling books that people pay good money for, that never see print, and that libraries generally don’t have access to.
We need a digital bill of rights, and we need one NOW. Otherwise, libraries, and consumers, are toast. It may already be too late for many libraries that have failed to seize the day.
Back for now
The Kindle format Penguin books (already purchased) are back on Overdrive this morning. I haven’t heard anything about how or why.
back for now
Yes, this is fantastic news. We are sending out a blog. I think negotiations with OverDrive may have been behind the change at least to a certain extent.