Public libraries buy printed books from all major publishers so that we can place them on a shelf and lend them to our customers. Sadly, many publishers and the companies that manage digital content licensing are treating public libraries differently by restricting our purchase of eBooks for loan to our customers. In recent months, there has been movement on the part of several major publishers to remove purchasing restrictions, however, libraries are still limited by inflated prices for high demand titles and/or the ability to purchase some popular titles.

We very much want to offer these eBooks to customers; however, the publishers' policies are preventing us from doing so. Please know that Poudre River Public Library District is committed to advocating for further change to current publishers' business models.

Below is a list of the major U.S. publishers and their purchasing restrictions for libraries.

• Hachette is working with all three major library ebook distributors. They soon will make Kindle books available through Overdrive. Terms are that eBooks will be up to three times the retail price within the first year of publication, and then one and a half times the year after. So a new James Patterson novel will be $84 each, making it inaccessible to most library budgets.
  
  
• Penguin announced in March of 2013 that they will begin working with libraries again, but not with Overdrive. Their titles will expire after a year and the Kindle format is not available.
  
  
• Simon & Schuster is making its eBooks available to New York City public libraries on a trial basis.
  
  
• Random House makes its eBooks available to libraries, but at prices as much as three times high than retail.
  
  
• HarperCollins allows its eBooks to be checked out 26 times before the library has to buy a new copy.
  
  
• Macmillan is running a two-year trail that makes 1,200 older eBooks available to libraries on Overdrive. Cost is $25 per title with a 24 month or 52 checkout limit.

Think that is wrong? So do we. If you would like more information, please contact Poudre River Public Library District.

You can also write or call each publisher to let them know what you think.