Libraries are facing many financial challenges these days, and here’s one more t
hat is being instigated by publisher Harper Collins starting Monday, March 7th. Downloadable ebooks purchased from them will be limited to a total of twenty six downloads (i.e., checkouts). After that, the title is gone from the library’s database until a new “copy” is purchased. It seems to me that libraries will be not be buying these books, just renting them. Aside from the additional drain on purchasing budgets, I wonder what effect this will have on the whole purchasing process if the need to replace certain titles has to be factored in. This Sunday Trib article tells the full story.
Barbara L.