NOTE: The Friends Bookstore is closed January 18-21 for inventory management. Normal hours resume next week.

An Evolving eBook Market

(Libraries, News, Books, Reading, National Media, Audiovisual) Permanent link

Most libraries, including KPL, experienced a strong increase in the circulation of ebooks after the holidays. Obviously readers were a popular holiday gift. Ebook users have learned how to download books from OverDrive through our website and many have attended our training or Q & A sessions.

In addition to titles available through the OverDrive consortium, we purchase additional copies of popular titles available to KPL resident cardholders. However patrons often ask why a particular popular title isn’t available in ebook format.

All publishers will sell us print copies, but not necessarily ebook copies. Their policies and approach vary considerably:

  • Random House titles are available; they recently announced a price increase.
  • HarperCollins titles are available to public libraries but each title is limited to 26 uses. The library must then renew its license for that title.
  • Macmillan does not make its popular titles available; some scholarly titles are available to public libraries.
  • Penguin terminated its agreement to provide to public libraries in February. Those titles already in a library’s catalog are still available.
  • Simon & Schuster titles are not available.
  • Hachette backlist is available, not the frontlist of new, popular titles.
  • Scholastic titles are not available.
  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt titles are available.

Bottom line: the availability of a popular title in ebook format through a public library depends upon the publisher. Ebook lending through public libraries is still evolving and the specifics change frequently. Be assured, however, that we continue to follow the market closely and purchase popular titles available to us. Even if we don’t have the title in ebook format, we will have it in print.

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Posted by Ann Rohrbaugh at 03/12/2012 11:50:23 AM | 


I would be very interested to hear the general public's response to how publishers are treating libraries right now. What do book-buyers and library-members think about this? What would a fair bargain look like in terms of ebooks and libraries? As a librarian, I realize I might be "biased". Perhaps there has been surveys?
Thanks for this well-organized update, Ann!
Posted by: matt s ( Email ) at 3/20/2012 1:16 PM


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