The Executive Board of the New Jersey Library Association has released a statement regarding the new eBook policy from Macmillan Publishers. The statement can be read in its entirety below.
NJLA Statement on Macmillan Publishers’ Proposed eBook Pricing Model for Libraries
Macmillan Publishers’ proposed new pricing model for eBook lending would negatively impact library users all over the state of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) opposes its model.
Under the new rules effective November 2019, Macmillan Publishers would allow libraries, including multiple branch library systems and digital content consortia, to purchase only one copy of a new title in eBook format upon release at half of the library purchase price. Only after an eight-week embargo would libraries be allowed to purchase additional copies at full cost. This move foreshadows a troubling trend in limiting access to libraries while charging them four to five times the cost of consumer purchases.
American Library Association (ALA) President Wanda Brown stated, “Limiting access to new titles for libraries means limiting access for patrons most dependent on libraries.”
Library users rely on their public libraries to provide information in a timely fashion and in formats accessible to all. Patrons use their public libraries as a resource for lifelong learning, career advancement, and critical decision making.
The restrictive pricing model that Macmillan Publishers proposes will severely limit libraries’ ability to respond to community needs. Macmillan’s policy is likely to frustrate its faithful readers as well as librarians that promote their books, advance literacy, and create opportunities for lesser-known authors to emerge as new favorites.
Macmillan Publishers is the sole major publisher restricting access to its new eBooks. According to Alan Inouye, ALA’s senior director for Public Policy & Government Relations, three other large publishers concluded that libraries were not a threat to their profitability and believe that libraries ultimately benefit their businesses.
Macmillan has declined repeated requests over the last year to discuss the embargo, or its library eBook program. NJLA encourages Macmillan Publishers to reverse or modify these unfair policy changes and strongly urges Macmillan Publishers to reconsider its approach to working with libraries.
Adopted September 17, 2019