The Planning and Development Committee approved a bill Friday that would forbid Connecticut libraries from entering in contracts with e-book publishers that limit libraries’ ability to control how they loan materials.
House Bill 6958 forbids libraries from entering into contracts that restrict how many times an e-book can be borrowed if the contract also restricts how long the library can loan the book.
Sen. MD Rahman, D-Manchester, co-chair of the committee, said that this bill should help both libraries and their patrons in the state by giving libraries leverage to negotiate with publishers.
“If libraries can negotiate fairer prices for popular e-books, library-goers and taxpayers will benefit,” he said.
Debate over affordability and greater access to e-books and audiobooks has been ongoing in the state. E-book publishers in Connecticut typically limit the use of individual e-books for a maximum of two years or 26 “borrows.” If the library wants to renew a contract for another two years, they would do so at whatever price the publisher sets.
In public testimony, Colleen Bailie, executive director of the West Haven Public Library, expressed support for the bill, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, D-West Hartford, Rep. Tom Delnicki, R-South Windsor and Rep. William Hefferman, D-West Haven.
“The proposed bill would help level the playing field by ensuring that public libraries can negotiate fair terms with publishers to offer digital books to library patrons,” Bailie said.
Alice Knapp, chief executive of the Ferguson Library in Stamford, also supports the bill. She had hoped e-books would shorten long wait times for loans when they emerged in the early 2000s.
They have since become more of a problem for the library than a solution. She believes the bill would give libraries the autonomy to negotiate fairer prices.
Umair Kazi, director of policy and advocacy at the Authors Guild, a state-wide association for the advocacy and protection of published authors, said it opposes the bill as it had the “potential to harm authors” within the state.
If put forward, the bill would lead to fewer digital materials available for loan in libraries throughout the state, limiting access for readers, the guild believes. A change in licensing agreements may withhold fair compensation for authors.
Margaret Lynch, an author who publishes within the state, also opposed the bill. She said the “policy harms authors and creators by undermining their ability to be fairly compensated for their work.”
Lynch added that the bill could “limit public access to e-books through libraries, restricting readers’ choices and educational opportunities.”
In spite of these concerns, the bill passed unanimously without discussion in the committee. The bill will move to the broader legislature to be considered.
During the meeting, Rep. Joe Zullo, R-East Haven, ranking member of the committee, said that the bill would “protect taxpayers,” and Sen. Jeff Gordon, R-Woodstock, another ranking member, said it would be “good for municipalities [and] good for people.”
