I’m writing this from the Monroe County (N.Y.) Library System’s Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, which is hosting “Imagine. Create. Innovate.” The technology conference is focusing on future issues like the library as publisher and ebook adoption. James LaRue from Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries and the ALA Digital Content and Libraries Working Group gave the morning keynote. LaRue started with a bit of history: the first moment he realized ebooks were going to be a problem for libraries. It happened when one of his friends—also a DCL patron—wanted to donate used ebooks to the library but was constricted from doing so by licensing. That licensing impacts used book sales, collection development, and weeding, LaRue quickly realized.
So LaRue turned to a new model for library ownership of ebooks using a simplified letter of agreement to replace complicated contract terms. Ebooks would be delivered using Adobe DRM ($10,000 for the content server, 8 cents per loan) to maintain security, the DCL contract proposed. In LaRue’s library, 52% of purchases and almost 60% of use comes from the Big Six publishers. Yet, LaRue told us, when he tried to work with Simon & Schuster, the publisher turned down the library’s offer of $250,000 to purchase ebooks with terms like print books. As a result, Douglas County Libraries has turned more and more to independent publishers and self-published authors.
Even as LaRue delivered a message of woe for traditional publishing, he also took time to speak to some of the benefits of being a publisher. The next step for LaRue? Turning the library into a publisher . . . or at least a helper to authors. This year, Douglas County Libraries will be adding new pages to its website to provide advice and resources for aspiring authors. LaRue spoke about the 300,000 self-published titles released last year. His goal is to help more of those self-published authors produce better books. LaRue talked about the future of collection development as well. At DCL, 60%–70% of expenditures will likely go to traditional mainstream publishing, 20%–30% to small and independent publishers, and what’s left to self-published titles.
This is the time for action, LaRue noted. Libraries have to push forward and try new things. We need to work together to leverage the power of shared development to make things work.