As eBooks become more popular with our library patrons, we are constantly being asked when we are going to add more titles to our online digital collection. The truth is, we would love to add more titles, and we do add new titles every year, but we can only afford to add a small number. The reason for this is that publishers charge libraries from 2 to 10 times more for eBook titles than they do to individual consumers. For example, you can buy the Kindle version of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch on Amazon.ca for $12.99, but the publisher sells it to the library for $114.00. That's almost nine times more! To try and address this situation, the Collingwood Public Library has joined with other public libraries in Simcoe County to pool our resources. Each year, we put some money in the kitty and share eBook titles through our PULSE website. But this can only take us so far.
Fortunately, the Toronto Public Library and the Canadian Library Association have recently spearheaded a campaign to try and get publishers to change their pricing model. The story has been picked up in the news. Here is a recent CBC report: CBC: E-book prices marked up too high, libraries protest
If you would like to learn more about the issue, you can also check the information found at Canadian Public Libraries for Fair EBook Pricing.
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