Mandy 🌼 🌷 ☀️Mar 17

Another day, another instance of someone on the Fediverse telling people not to do something which is essentially a public good.

This time it's a librarian telling people not to borrow ebooks from libraries. The other option isn't cheaper, permanent physical books, I'm afraid. For many people, it's immediately available ebooks on pirate sites.

It's taken me so long to get my friends, nieces and godchildren to use Libby and BorrowBox (for audiobooks).

It is very disheartening to read something so exclusionary and privileged. I know most librarians want you to take advantage of anything and everything a library has to offer because their use justifies their expenditure.

#bookstodon

Show threadTiggyMar 17

@mandy

So that librarian doesn't think libraries should be accessible for those of us who can't read print books.
Disgusting anti-disability stance.
I mostly use audiobooks now, both recent sight issues and the arthritis in my hands.

Show threadMandy 🌼 🌷 ☀️Mar 17
@tiggy to be fair to the librarian, they framed it as "if you can read print books, then do". But that excludes people who can read print books but don't have an accessible library, and those who can read print books but wouldn't do so if it depended on them getting to a library
Show threadSosha Rahab
@mandy @tiggy i'm guessing their argument was rooted in how ebooks are available to the libraries themselves and the cost model. if so, i've heard it before, but the "solution" does not lie with library patrons. that library patrons want and need ebooks isn't a problem. a problem is greed in corporate offices, and in legislation that nothing to protect those patrons, and... you know? yeah, fuck it. that librarian should know better.
Mar 17 at 2:07pmWeb
Show threadMandy 🌼 🌷 ☀️Mar 17
@peachfiend @tiggy this is my thinking. Blame the corporates, not the individuals making use of a public service there for the public good