COLUMBUS — Several large library systems across the U.S., including the Columbus Metropolitan Library, are suspending purchases of all electronic versions of Macmillan Publishers’ new releases in a protest against the publishing house’s planned restrictions on library sales.
The Nashville Public Library, the Maryland Digital Library and Washington state’s King County Library System have also joined the boycott set to begin Friday
Macmillan’s library embargo also begins Friday. The publisher — one of the nation’s five largest publishers — will restrict public libraries and consortium of all sizes to buying a single copy of each newly released e-book for the first eight weeks of publication.
The libraries say the policy cuts against their mission of promoting information distribution and literacy.
Macmillan CEO John Sargent has said in an open letter that a surge in e-book borrowing is decreasing the perceived economic value of books.
The libraries belong to the Digital Downloads Collaboration, which was the 10th highest circulating entity in the world in 2018, with a total circulation of 3.44 million items, said Patrick Losinski, CEO of the Columbus library system.
“By limiting the number of copies our library can purchase, Macmillan is allowing only a certain segment of our society to access digital content in a timely manner – those who can pay for it themselves. And that’s unacceptable in a democratic society.”
If libraries have to wait eight weeks before being able to purchase more than one copy, Losinski says customers could wait several months for their digital book to be available.
Columbus Moetropolitan Library customers checked out nearly 2 million items from its digital collection last year, Losinski said.