Macmillan Publishers' decision to effectively put a two-month embargo on electronic copies of its new books at libraries, starting November 1. The publishing firm will allow library systems to have only a single electronic copy of a new book upon its release, despite the fact that a library system can cover a major metropolitan area. When Macmillan announced the move in July, the company's CEO, John Sargent, argued that library readers were "cannibalizing our digital sales" and that a remedy to the rising use of electronic books in libraries was necessary. "It seems that given a choice between a purchase of an e-book for $12.99 or a frictionless lend for free, the American e-book reader is starting to lean heavily toward free," he said in a letter to the company's authors, illustrators, and agents. "Library reads are currently 45% of [Macmillan's] total digital book reads in the U.S. and growing," Macmillan Chief Executive John Sargent said in an interview with
The Wall Street Journal. The article also noted that "[l]ibraries generate only 15% of Macmillan's total annual e-book revenue." ALA has spoken against the move ever since, calling it "unacceptable," but the push to get the public interested in the issue is new and was announced this week at a major industry conference, Digital Book World. The association also launched a website titled e-books for All, which includes a petition aimed at Sargent, and it will include materials to place in libraries. The website notes that Macmillan's policy harms readers with disabilities in particular. From the petition page: This embargo would limit libraries' ability to provide access to information for all. It particularly harms library patrons with disabilities or learning issues. One of the great things about e-books is that they can become large-print books with only a few clicks, and most e-book readers offer fonts and line spacing that make reading easier for people who have
dyslexia or other visual challenges. Because portable devices are light and easy to hold, e-books are easier to use for some people who have physical disabilities. The Wall Street Journal noted that "The pricing model follows a similar distribution pattern as seen with movies, from the initial opening in theaters to DVD and video-on-demand, to pay-TV services like AT&T Inc.'s
HBO or subscription services such as
Netflix Inc. Sargent said publishers have long delayed the paperback editions of new titles in favor of generating more sales of higher-priced hardcovers." ==References==