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 threadgeraldewMar 17
@mandy am a little confused though, what was the rationale being given for not borrowing ebooks?
Show threadMandy 🌼 🌷 ☀️Mar 17
@geraldew the waiting lines for ebooks can be long and physical books only need to be purchased once / are permanent. But library services are judged on whether they are used
Show threadKerry Mitchell 🍁
@mandy @geraldew ebooks delivered through Overdrive are tremendously expensive compared to print books. https://www.spokanelibrary.org/the-true-cost-of-ebooks-and-audiobooks-for-libraries/ Some people are also uncomfortable about the near monopoly Overdrive/KKR has on library ebooks: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/could-kkrs-ownership-of-overdrive-raise-questions-about-simon-schuster-purchase
Mar 17 at 2:13pmMastodon for iOS
Show threadMandy 🌼 🌷 ☀️Mar 17
@KerryMitchell @geraldew thank you for these links