Friends - let's chat.

"Public Lending Rights" (or, PLR) is a scheme to compensate authors & creatives for their books and works being in circulation in libraries. https://twitter.com/asauthors/status/1298494535857664001?s=20

It's an amazing program that acknowledges the hard work that goes into creating *art* (books, films, music etc.) and allows some monetary compensation for potential loss of income for works being made free and readily available in libraries. It's great!

BUT: in Australia, we do not get lending rights compensation for e-books or digital audiobooks.
Yup.
Right now, authors can get PLR only for their physical books - but not that same book in digital format via audio or ebook.

(Does this sound a little ridiculous *especially* in the Year 2020 when many libraries have physically shut their doors, but highlighted their *incredible* digital libraries on offer?! Yeah. Pretty much everyone in the Arts thinks so too.)

. @PaulFletcherMP doesn't think such a scheme is a priority. Which is pretty weird since he's been asking for suggestions on how he can help The Arts. He even created a taskforce to brain-storm this kind of stuff (oh, publishing isn't represented tho): https://www.paulfletcher.com.au/media-releases/media-release-new-taskforce-to-steer-the-arts-to-recovery

And it's even weirder because places like @asauthors and the Agents Assoc have been asking for an expansion of ELR/PLR for a *really* long time (like ... since e-books and audiobooks became a *thing* and have been on the rise). So weird @PaulFletcherMP!

But nah, according to this press release - https://www.asauthors.org/news/government-refuses-to-commit-to-dlr - @PaulFletcherMP; '... the Minister has merely committed to monitoring the situation with no timeline for change.'

How much more proof would he like that e-books and audiobooks are - y'know - popular?

So do you know what would *really* help out your favourite Aussie authors? And would just be a good roadmap to post-COVID recovery for the Arts generally in this country? Reading this @asauthors press-release and following the directions at the bottom; https://www.asauthors.org/news/government-refuses-to-commit-to-dlr

Write to your local MP ( @asauthors have a template letter!). Tweet at @PaulFletcherMP too, quite frankly (maybe every time you loan out an e-book or digital audiobook? Just to help him "monitor the situation"). And just stay aware of this stuff; https://www.asauthors.org/news/government-refuses-to-commit-to-dlr

You'd really be helping out Australian authors, making our society more equitable generally, AND - most important of all - you'd be signalling that you *value the Arts and artists* and want to see it acknowledged as valuable to society and community too. That'd be amazing.

I know @Tony_Burke is also probably across this because he's fab and a great supporter of the Arts and Artists but if you're in a book club, writing group, if you run a #LoveOzYA BookTube or #LoveOzMG blog or *anything* - spread the word! Please!