Last week, publishing consultant Joseph Esposito publicly mused about an ebook strategy in which publishers bypass libraries and create direct-to-reader content packages. Esposito described it not as “another evil visited upon libraries by avaricious publishers” but as “a prudent means to find other ways to derive revenue from publications without imposing a further tax on a library’s strained materials budget.” Publishers would be wise to think about it.
The library profession would also be wise to quickly recruit spokespeople to engage in thoughtful, forward-looking dialogue with publishers, the press and the public. Conversations like these are multiplying — and libraries will find themselves increasingly marginalized if they allow others to represent their interests and capabilities.
