Thursday, October 27, 2011

What to do with old books, and more ebook surprises

So in keeping with the "librarian" theme of The Writer Librarian, I think it's high time for a library related story. This one by NPR blogger Linda Holmes provides an interesting angle. What should libraries do with old books? We're talking about the ones that not even people want to buy for a penny at the annual library book sale. As the article specifies, some libraries have such limited space (and budgets) that they have no choice but to throw them out. Libraries--'gasp'--throwing out books? Unheard of!

But with ebooks becoming more of the norm, libraries may not have a choice, unless companies like Amazon sell ebooks for cheaper. According to this blog entry, Amazon's pricing for may be a bit steep--They're offering ebooks at a price alternative to hardbacks instead of paperbacks. But what about consumers who prefer a $7.99 paperback over a $10.99 ebook? Or those who--'gasp'--get the hardcover in a library for free? It will be interesting to see when (if?) Amazon takes this into consideration.

So, the book wars continue. Ultimately, consumers will decide which trends will win out. And librarians, publishers, and corporations will need to adapt accordingly.

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