Read on Twitter
Ok, because @stevelibrarian asked for it, and I'm on my second pot of coffee, let's do this. https://twitter.com/LibraryJournal/status/1311655322302525442
Overall, the article isn’t as bad as it could be. I’ve definitely seen worse, but there are still some big problems, LIKE THE WAY IT STARTS!
MEDIA--I NEED YOU TO STOP HIGHLIGHTING FRINGE USERS AS IF THEY’RE COMMON!
MEDIA--I NEED YOU TO STOP HIGHLIGHTING FRINGE USERS AS IF THEY’RE COMMON!
The library user who is highlighted is a power user.
She uses multiple systems (because she lives in the DC-area we have a lot of systems that are very close together and so cooperate with each other because we’re one giant metro area!)
She uses multiple systems (because she lives in the DC-area we have a lot of systems that are very close together and so cooperate with each other because we’re one giant metro area!)
Power users like this are publishings boogeyman. A lot of publishers think users like this are super common and scamming the system. Here’s the thing--she’s read 150 books so far this year.
THIS IS NOT TYPICAL!
THIS IS NOT TYPICAL!
To quote from Pew:
"Overall, Americans read an average (mean) of 12 books per year, while the typical (median) American has read four books in the past 12 months."
MOST AMERICANS READ 4 BOOKS A YEAR! Not 150!!!! https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/09/25/one-in-five-americans-now-listen-to-audiobooks/
"Overall, Americans read an average (mean) of 12 books per year, while the typical (median) American has read four books in the past 12 months."
MOST AMERICANS READ 4 BOOKS A YEAR! Not 150!!!! https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/09/25/one-in-five-americans-now-listen-to-audiobooks/
Not only is her reading HIGHLY atypical, she’s going out of her way to make sure she’s getting her books legally instead of pirating them, which somehow makes her publishing’s enemy?
Why? WHO KNOWS.
Why? WHO KNOWS.
And then the kicker: “I feel bad not giving money to authors”
Y’all, listen up. Your tax dollars fund the library. The library then uses those dollars to pay publishers for books. THE BOOKS HAVE BEEN PAID FOR.
Libraries aren’t free, they’re prepaid.
Y’all, listen up. Your tax dollars fund the library. The library then uses those dollars to pay publishers for books. THE BOOKS HAVE BEEN PAID FOR.
Libraries aren’t free, they’re prepaid.
“Borrowers like Adler are driving publishers crazy” sure, but as I’ve shown, THEY ARE EXTREMELY RARE.
But in publishing’s fever-dream of cannibalistic* libraries, most library users are like this. I need media outlets to stop perpetuating that lie.
But in publishing’s fever-dream of cannibalistic* libraries, most library users are like this. I need media outlets to stop perpetuating that lie.
*I use cannibalistic on purpose, because the former CEO of Macmillan legit said that libraries “cannibalize” sales.
Now let’s dig down a little more into the article! According to OverDrive, ebook usage is up 52% this year compared to last.
I know a lot of libraries are starting to see that number fall as we start to offer things like curbside and limited reopening.
I know a lot of libraries are starting to see that number fall as we start to offer things like curbside and limited reopening.
I don’t know if that 52% is at peak, or after things started falling down. BUT everyone I’ve talked to about this agrees that usage will never go down to where it was pre-pandemic. There is definitely a jump in usage, and it’s permanent.
The article does go into metered access and price differences (yay)!
It says the average price is $40 and links to a recent survey (that has no authorship?)
It says the average price is $40 and links to a recent survey (that has no authorship?)
But, that $40 is average price across ALL books available for sale. When you look at just bestsellers (aka, the most popular books people are most interested in) the average price is $45.75.
64% of bestselling books cost libraries over $50 for ebooks.
But no bestseller costs that much for individual consumers.
But no bestseller costs that much for individual consumers.
And 86% of bestsellers need to be repurchased on a regular basis.
DID YOU KNOW, the most expensive the book is, the more likely it has to be repurchased? Books that need to be repurchased (again, 86% of bestsellers) had an average price of $49.48
DID YOU KNOW, the most expensive the book is, the more likely it has to be repurchased? Books that need to be repurchased (again, 86% of bestsellers) had an average price of $49.48
All that data comes from this article that I wrote for @SmartBitches:
https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2020/09/hold-on-ebooks-cost-how-much-the-inconvenient-truth-about-library-ecollections/
https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2020/09/hold-on-ebooks-cost-how-much-the-inconvenient-truth-about-library-ecollections/
Back to the WIRED article:
Here’s an interesting stat:
⅓ of libraries are shifting money away from other collections to spend on ebooks.
And that’s where publishing has seriously shot themselves in the foot.
Here’s an interesting stat:
⅓ of libraries are shifting money away from other collections to spend on ebooks.
And that’s where publishing has seriously shot themselves in the foot.
Looking at bestsellers again, libraries can be 3.5 print copies for the cost of 1 ebook copy.
Anytime we have to shift money away from print to e, publishing loses sales FROM LIBRARIES.
For every ebook we buy, that’s 2.5 print books we can’t buy.
Anytime we have to shift money away from print to e, publishing loses sales FROM LIBRARIES.
For every ebook we buy, that’s 2.5 print books we can’t buy.
And this will get worse, because 29% of libraries have already seen budgets frozen or reduced--this is just going to get worse and wait until local governments start their NEXT fiscal year--it’s going to get real bad then.
Publishers are SO WORRIED about libraries they're pricing themselves out of the market. They're walking away from print sales for a few ebooks sales. And they're going to lose SO MANY sales once budgets get cut.
And our budgets will get cut because the economic situation will be bad.
Do they really think people will have the disposable income to spend on their books when the library can't buy them?
Do they really think people will have the disposable income to spend on their books when the library can't buy them?
Lots of good library voices included, so overall, not this article is not the worst I’ve seen.
I also want to point out this thread where I double-check Macmillan’s math on “losing” sales and find it doesn’t add up. https://twitter.com/kidsilkhaze/status/1192626228823568394
I also want to point out this thread where I double-check Macmillan’s math on “losing” sales and find it doesn’t add up. https://twitter.com/kidsilkhaze/status/1192626228823568394
And with that, I have more coffee to drink and a stack of review journals to get through (aka, I'm going to go buy some books for the library)
