Many libraries do now carry ebooks and downloadable audio books. Each library is authorized by the publisher to lend out a certain number of copies at once (I suppose they pay a certain amount "per copy" but I haven't asked the librarian how it actually works). You have to use the library's version of the ebook or audio book reader and when you download the book it has an expiration date after which the reader will no longer work for that file. I'm sure all this could be hacked or worked around somehow, but it seems to work well enough that more and more libraries have them and it seems more publishers are providing them. But, then I could just be in an optimistic mood today as I've also had publisher's stop supporting a particular ebook seller and when I tried to download a new copy of an ebook I'd purchased because my computer trashed the old copy, I couldn't do that.
All of which is more cumbersome than what bookshare does, but then bookshare only provides copies in brf and DAISY formats which the typical person does not have a program to translate.
Misha Soronel Haetir wrote:
Bookshare would be far more like a lending library if they had to possess and keep the physical books and could only hand out as many instances as they possess. This would of course be a far harder technical system than bookshare currently supports and is not required under the current copyright law. However these differences do keep it from being a classic lending library as far as I am concerned. On 12/11/09, Shelley L. Rhodes <guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:Hi Denese, This is an interesting question. And you know the Bean Library, who has been providing free digital books for years, smile, did a study and found that actually the authors and publishers get more money and more attention, smile, if their books are available as electronic text. The reason is a large one. If I read a book, I am going to recommend it to others, buy it for Christmas presents, and mention it to my colleagues and friends. Not to mention write reviews of it on sites like Amazon. Amnd statistically according to Bean's research the majority of people who use electronic texts follow this pattern. I also look at the other things I "pay" for this privilage, mainly the work time and equipment I have invested. If i had universal access I would be o.k. with that, but I look at Bookshare as a library, and I also look at the price I pay in the time I spend scanning, time the average person who goes to the bookstores and the like doesn't have to spend. Not to mention the cost of the scanning equipment i have purchased and maintained, and the time dedicated to getting books ready for Bookshare. Smile. Not to split hairs, but... the used bookstores the author doesn't get anything from, nor do they from the book swop sites, smile. Just a point of reference, smile. And actually most authors unless they are really good get a flat rate for the book they publish. They might get royalities if the book proves to be a good one, but for beginners it is a flat rate to sell the rights to a book. I know at least in Boston the gowing rate for some kids books is $500 my brother was looking into it. Depending on the contract the author signs, they might get royalties, or they might not. Sometimes they just sell the rights to the book to a particular publisher particularly if they are just starting out. Shelley L. Rhodes, VRT Guide dogs for the Blind Alumni Association www.guidedogs.com Reading a book is like rewriting it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms. -Angela Carter, novelist and journalist (1940-1992) ----- Original Message ----- From: Denise Thompson To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 6:32 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Something interesting Hi At risk of beheading, I agree that reading print materials- books should be available to everyone. However that we can read them virtually free is questionable. I know we pay a membership fee to BKS but is it very nominal and the authors and publishers are loosing money by allowing their books to be made available to us. As much as I enjoy being able to read virtually unlimited books a year, it doesn't really seem fair completely. I have some friends who are on limited incomes and love to read, but they can't afford to read the amount of books I read each year. They're limited to seeking out second hand book stores or going places that have used book swaps, etc. And because they also have disabilities it makes finding books harder for them because of the travel involved. So my most magnanimous self says we should have to pay some sort of nominal price for downloading books that goes back to the authors and publishers like the sale of any book. The more selfish part of myself says lets keep things the same. I suppose I can ease my conscience by thinking of bKS as a library and I'm checking out books to read. Denise At 12:06 PM 12/11/2009, you wrote: New Petition Seeks to Gain Support of Access to Books for All A new petition has been launched which seeks to gain support of writers and others for equal access to printed material. Some groups, including some book publishers, oppose this idea claiming it will circumvent their copyrights of the books. But others consider the ability to read the same books as everyone else a fundamental right. The treaty will be discussed at the World Intellectual Property Organization meeting in Geneva next week. Thanks to @circulating on Twitter for sending this in. Via Boing Boing ---------------- "If you go without playing the trumpet for one day, no one knows, two days, only you know, and more than three days without practicing, girl you better look out, because everyone will know!" Today, I find myself constantly saying those words, just to get myself going, to not give up, and it works. Since I learned to play the trumpet at the tender age of 10, I have spent so much passion and much diligence with that instrument that I will not give up on it. Sometimes my instrument puts me into awkward situations where I feel like they won't ever end, but the trumpet gives me a lot of hope with the majestic, crystal-clear sound it brings to my ears. ---------------- Chela Robles E-Mail: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx MSNWindowsLive Messenger: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxxxx Skype: jazzytrumpet
To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.