Our Executive Director, Kate Hall, recently appeared on WBEZ Chicago's "Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith" to explain why popular eBooks and audiobooks can take months to become available at your library and how the Digital Library Protection Act, which restricts publishers from imposing unfair digital licensing terms for Illinois libraries, will help. Listen to the radio show here.
Why is the Digital Library Act necessary?
Like libraries across the country, we continue to experience a strong demand for digital materials, including digital books, audiobooks, and magazines, as well as streaming movies, TV, and music. Digital materials account for about 20% of our checkouts each year.
Most people are surprised to learn that, unlike physical books, libraries don't own the digital materials they purchase. This leasing model allows publishers to place restrictions on digital items, including limiting the number of times an item can be checked out, the number of people who can borrow it, or even how many people can borrow it at once. In some instances, a publisher can remove items from its catalogs entirely.
And digital materials cost much more than physical materials. For example, some eBooks on Libby can cost from $25 to $80 per copy, and an eAudiobook can cost from $50 to $100, and that is in addition to the yearly fee for accessing the Libby platform.
What you can do
Illinois is currently working on passing the Digital Library Protection Act (HB 5236), which would require publishers to provide libraries with equitable pricing and purchasing. HB 5236 recently passed the Illinois House by a vote of 99-0. Now, it’s up to the Senate.
If you love reading and listening to titles on Hoopla and Libby, consider taking a couple of minutes to call your state senator and ask them to support the Digital Library Protection Act (HB 5236). By sharing the impact of the high pricing and stringent restrictions with legislators, we can hopefully make eBooks and eAudiobooks more affordable for all libraries.
Learn more about the Digital Library Protection Act and how it can benefit Illinois Libraries.
Here are some easy ways you can help even more people enjoy our digital collection
- When you're notified that a digital item you placed a hold on is available, try to check it out as soon as possible.
- If you no longer want an item on your hold list, you can schedule it to be delivered later or cancel the hold entirely. This reduces the number of titles waiting to be checked out.
- If you finish an eBook or audiobook before its due date, return it early so others can enjoy it sooner.
