HARTFORD, Conn. – The Government Control Board on Friday considered a bill that would prohibit public libraries from entering into certain contracts in hopes of lowering the cost of digital books and audiobooks for all libraries.
The bill, HB 5312, which ultimately died in committee, would prohibit libraries from entering into contracts or licensing agreements with publishers that would prevent them from performing “customary operational or lending functions.” There is. This includes normal library activities such as interlibrary loan lending, limiting the number of times materials can be loaned, and prohibiting libraries from making private archival copies.
“This bill would confront the problems posed by public libraries, which are not only charged exorbitant prices for audiobooks, but also have extremely disadvantageous conditions that prevent regular lending. ” said Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stanford, the committee chairman. “This bill would allow them to maximize their bargaining power and get better terms for ebooks and audiobooks by prohibiting them from agreeing to some of these terms. It helps.”
Library representatives have complained about the cost of offering visitors the option of digital books and audiobooks, which are becoming increasingly popular among visitors. Publishers currently have control over many aspects of lending and distributing audiobooks and digital books, but libraries argue that this is driving up costs.
“E-book pricing needs to be reined in so that public libraries can provide needed materials to their communities,” wrote Michael Fontana, a member of the Stonington Free Library board of directors. “The fact that e-book publishers lease e-books only to libraries means that they must continually purchase books in order to keep them in their collections and make them available to patrons. For example, to keep the Harry Potter audiobook series in your digital collection, you have to pay $525 every two years. In contrast, the printed version of the Harry Potter series costs about $50. $ and get unlimited access in our collection.”
Not all committee members were convinced that the bill was the best way to reduce costs for libraries.
“I really think this particular bill is a disservice to libraries. It's telling them who they can buy from and who they can't buy from,” said Southington Republican and committee ranking member. said member Congresswoman Gail Mastrofrancesco. “What concerns me here is that we are essentially telling publishers that this is not really price control, but rather that we are putting restrictions on what they can do as a business in the state of Connecticut. ”
Sen. Rob Sampson (R-Wolcott) had more philosophical concerns about the bill.
“This bill denies libraries their freedom, even if they wanted it,” Sampson said. “They don’t have any additional rights, and my problem with this bill was if it was just to find a way to unionize the different library organizations in the state so they could bargain collectively; If you're a publisher, you have no problem with this. But that's not what's happening. We're interfering with the personal contracts of participants who don't want to be involved in this. I am.”
The final vote to pass the bill was 14-5, with one Republican, Rep. Christine Carpino of Cromwell, voting yes with Democrats.
