You can rent them by the yard

[andrewducker]

Just to be entirely clear, we're talking about _ebooks_ here.

[Poll #1776583]

Comments

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

This is a library and state provision is the way to go. I don't read so many books that I can't afford to buy all the etexts I want.

[andrewducker]

With a public library I have to wait for a book to be in stock. The Edinburgh library system now does ebooks and they deliberately limit the number of each book that can be loaned out at any point.

This is very different from "I want to read X right now" and having access to it immediately.

[alextfish.livejournal.com]

How curious! Why do the library impose limits like that on something electronic?

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

I imagine it is imposed on them. With physical books, there is a monetary outlay that places a limit on how many copies they can issue. This would have to be artificially imposed for e-books and the reason someone (the PLR?) would want to impose this is to protect income for authors.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

I can confirm that this is the case.

[steer.livejournal.com]

Yes... it is a licencing issue. We have similar things with some bits of software -- the licence allows only (say) 25 simultaneous copies running on the central system. If you pay more you can have more simultaneous copies.

[ajr.livejournal.com]

The limits are imposed on the library by the publishers.

[cyprinella]

Publishers want to set library ebooks to expire after being lent something like 26 times, forcing another purchase of the book. Harper Collins started it: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/03/harpercollins-library-ebook-checkout-limit.html