Publishers, Libraries and the Bilbary model

Government spending is under a tight rein due to the recession and the slow recovery rate of the economy. Spending cuts have been putting publicly funded libraries at considerable risk.  The Museums, Libraries and Archives council gave advice, stating that libraries needed to “exploit digital technologies to survive the cuts,” (Hitchcock, 2011). Embracing digital technologies has also been said to offer libraries the opportunity to become “next generation research centres,” (Hitchcock, 2011). The most successful libraries of the future are predicted to provide a range of services including a physical meeting point to share and discuss, free internet service and an emphasis on cheap material for electronic platforms as well as print. Libraries consequently must make changes and a particularly key area is making titles available in ebook format, as “70% of publishers expect that by 2014 more than half their publications will be electronic,” (Hitchcock, 2011).

Their largest obstacle is that publishers are holding back. “Macmillan and Simon & Schuster do not sell e-books to libraries. Hachette and Penguin withhold their newest titles, and HarperCollins caps the number of times a book can be loaned at 26 after which, in principle, it needs to be repurchased,” (Osnos, 2011). The reason for such hesitation is the concern that widespread downloading of ebooks may facilitate mass piracy of content and cause a significant loss in sales.

Movements are underway to try and find a solution to this stalemate. One of the newest interesting models to arise is Bilbary, a comprehensive ebook website with approximately 300,000 – 400,000 titles, that provides all the benefits of a large ebook retailer and of library lending. The key difference is the income made and the resulting extra revenue for publishers. Ebooks will be available to buy or rent (for a lower price), and publishers are set to take approximately 80% of royalties. Bilbary’s main focus will be on academic texts, as it sees “a particularly attractive option for publishers to make expensive reference titles available at a reduced rate,” (Milliot, 2011). Bilbary even aims to help physical libraries, enabling them to use their e-library as a service, cutting out the need to purchase from publishers. But success rests on the question as to whether consumers are willing to pay low rental-fees for ebooks, with the library service traditionally founded upon access to free content.

What is certain is that publishers need to remain aware of the value of libraries to their industry. “Libraries are comparable to independent booksellers as a percentage of business, and they "never send books back," (Osnos, 2011). They provide a means for readers to experiment with new authors, lend and discover books and without this important service readers are arguably more likely to turn to piracy.

Hitchcock, Gill (2011) “Libraries Face a Digital Future” The Guardian (online)

< http://www.guardian.co.uk/government-computing-network/2011/nov/14/digital-future-libraries-e-books> Accessed 23^rd January 2012

Milliot, Jim (2011) “Tim Coates to Launch International E-book store, Bilbary” Publishers Weekly

 < http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/retailing/article/49710-tim-coates-to-launch-international-e-bookstore-bilbary.html> Accessed 26^th January 2012

 

Osnos, Peter (2011) “Library Wars: Amazon and Publishers vie for Control of E-book Rentals.” The Atlantic (online) < http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/12/library-wars-amazon-and-publishers-vie-for-control-of-e-book-rentals/249544/> Accessed 26^th January 2012