Q. The library has the book I want, but not in eBook or eAudiobook formats. Why not?

Not all books are available in eBook or eAudiobook format. Even if they are available, sometimes they cannot be purchased by libraries, depending on the publisher.

Public libraries purchase a lot of eContent, but generally pay a higher price and must comply with more restrictive terms than someone buying for their personal use. Publishers set the pricing and licensing terms for libraries. For example, a recent popular bestseller cost $28.35 on Audible.com, but libraries pay $90-$130 for the same title – and can only make it available for 24 months.

Your access to eBooks and eAudiobooks as a library patron could be restricted under terms set by major publishers. For example:

• Simon & Schuster allows eBooks and eAudiobooks to checkout for 24 months. After 24 months, access expires from the library’s collection. Another copy must be purchased if the library wishes to regain access. This makes it hard for libraries to keep full series and older titles available while still purchasing new titles.
• Bloomsbury Publishing prices titles well beyond the industry average, such as $82-$212 per copy, placing them beyond the ability of most libraries to maintain a collection with reasonable wait times.
• For publishers that only offer one high-cost option, Sonoma County Library has established a spending limit per title, to protect against a majority of the digital book budget going toward only a few titles. This will result in longer wait times for a small number of popular titles. Titles with lower cost or multiple purchase options for libraries will have shorter wait times overall. The waiting period for a title will entirely depend on what purchasing options the publisher chooses to offer public libraries. 

The Sonoma County Library is concerned about these troubling publisher trends, which interfere with our mission to provide free and equitable access to information in a variety of formats. We believe all published works must be available at reasonable prices and terms for libraries to purchase and lend.

To learn more, click here.