Connecticut librarians are hoping that their neighbor to the north will join the Nutmeg State in passing a law that bars libraries from entering into or renewing expensive contracts and licensing agreements with e-book publishers.
The law, which went into effect on July 1, makes Connecticut a national leader in this area and marks a significant step toward transparency, equity and sustainability in how libraries acquire and provide digital resources to the public.
The five leading publishers, which control more than 80 percent of the book market, are forcing libraries to rent, not own, e-books at prices four or five times higher than what the average consumer pays. Worse, these rentals often expire after just two years or 26 borrows. Libraries are being forced to repurchase the same titles again and again, draining public dollars and limiting access to essential knowledge.
“I am very happy to see this law finally get passed,” said Lynn Zaffino, Easton library director. “However, there is a ‘trigger’ clause, which states that this law will not go into effect until another state or combination of states with a population of 7 million passes a similar law.”
Indeed, “Connecticut was too small to stand on its own,” said Fairfield Librarian Scott C. Jarzombek. “We would be the first state to have a law like this, and we are a small market. The fear was [publishers] would not sell to Connecticut. We’re trying to get our fellow libraries in other states to get their laws passed. The New York governor vetoed a similar law. The hope is that Massachusetts will pass a similar law.”
According to OverDrive, which supplies the Libby and Sora apps, readers worldwide borrowed over 739 million e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines in 2024, a 17 percent increase over 2023. Streaming video through libraries and universities on Kanopy also reached a record 27.8 million plays.
Jarzombek said librarians had been concerned about providing e-books to the public at a quality level with which they are comfortable.
“We can’t provide the deep collection the public expects,” he said. “We pay a lot of money for a book that’s not even ours. They’ve got us over a barrel. There is no way to negotiate the price.”
“Purchasing e-books that will not disappear after a number of borrows will give libraries better value for our money, and that makes us better stewards of public funds,” said Elaine Braithwaite, Bridgeport city librarian.
“We will still need other states to pass similar bills before the legislation is in full effect,” she added, “but I am proud that Connecticut is leading the way in reforming the ways that libraries will interact with e-book publishers, for the benefit of our library patrons.”
From FCN partner Easton Courier.
