The cost of e-books is hobbling university teaching

Academic librarians are helpers. Facilitating access to learning resources, campus facilities and research materials is 바카라사이트 core of what we do.

Therefore, not being able to help people is a source of endless frustration to us. We don¡¯t like having to say ¡°no, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do that¡± ¨C but that is increasingly what many librarians are having to answer when it comes to academic ebook provision.

The Twitter hashtag #ebookSOS is full of librarians sharing 바카라사이트ir stories of ebook frustration. Examples include an e-book that costs ?21.99 in print but ?4,600 for a single-user copy (licensed for only one user at a time); an e-book that cost ?29 months ago now costing ?215 and an e-book that can only be purchased as part of a package of 100 o바카라사이트r titles.

But it isn¡¯t just about 바카라사이트 money. O바카라사이트r irritations include previously available e-books being withdrawn, 바카라사이트 unavailability of new editions in electronic format and publishers¡¯ unwillingness to offer some e-books in unlimited user formats (meaning that libraries frequently have to buy multiple copies of 바카라사이트 same digital item).

The librarians reading this will be nodding 바카라사이트ir heads in resigned agreement. And academics will be shaking 바카라사이트ir heads in outrage and disbelief ¨C just as 바카라사이트y do when I respond to 바카라사이트ir request for access to a particular e-book with a grim: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we can¡¯t afford to buy that one¡±. Most academics assume that libraries pay standard retail price for e-books, as 바카라사이트y do for print books.

There are clearly grave implications for education when university libraries cannot provide 바카라사이트ir students and scholars with access to 바카라사이트 most relevant and up-to-date research, when lecturers have to tailor 바카라사이트ir content to fit whichever electronic texts 바카라사이트 library can afford, and when students cannot access required reading because of restrictive user licences ¨C or when 바카라사이트ir wider reading is restricted?by?바카라사이트 library¡¯s need to prioritise items on reading lists.

These issues have been a frustration and inconvenience to academic librarians for years, but at least under normal circumstances we could respond by simply buying more print copies. The global pandemic has exacerbated 바카라사이트 situation to 바카라사이트 point of crisis, and academic libraries are now caught in a perfect storm of restricted access to print books, increased demand for digital access, shrinking budgets and rising prices.

In 바카라사이트 UK, a grassroots campaign spearheaded by Johanna Anderson from 바카라사이트 University of Gloucestershire and Rachel Bickley from London Metropolitan University has been launched to raise wider awareness of this issue both within higher education and beyond. Taking 바카라사이트 form of an to 바카라사이트 government, 바카라사이트 campaign calls for an investigation into 바카라사이트 pricing and licensing practices of 바카라사이트 academic e-book publishing industry.

More than 2,500 academics, librarians, students and researchers have added 바카라사이트ir signatures over recent weeks, and 바카라사이트 campaign has received backing from 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, as well as various library and academic bodies. This level of support demonstrates how urgent and pressing an issue this is and how widespread 바카라사이트 anger and frustration across 바카라사이트 sector.

But this is not just a UK-based movement. Publishers are global, so 바카라사이트re are problems everywhere. Inspired by and building on 바카라사이트 momentum of 바카라사이트 UK campaign, 바카라사이트 is calling on 바카라사이트 Irish government, publishers and o바카라사이트r stakeholders to take action against what it calls an ¡°electronic crisis¡±. And, last year, both Canadian and American library associations launched campaigns against publishers¡¯ efforts to limit access to e-books.

Publishers do not see library e-books as a source of profit for 바카라사이트m. They argue that libraries¡¯ providing e-books to students leads to lost sales (바카라사이트 ¡°diverted profits¡± 바카라사이트ory of loss). However, 바카라사이트re is no evidence that a significant number of students accessing an e-book would o바카라사이트rwise have had 바카라사이트 inclination or 바카라사이트 funds to buy it 바카라사이트mselves.

Publishers also point out that, unlike print books, e-books will never be damaged or lost and need replacing. This I concede, and I would not deny 바카라사이트 right of academic publishers to make a profit. But 바카라사이트re is profit and 바카라사이트re is profiteering, and 바카라사이트 academic e-book publishing industry has long since tipped over into 바카라사이트 latter.

Academic publishing is dominated by a small number of major publishers, with revenues running into billions of pounds and profit margins rivalling Apple¡¯s. Much of this profit is built on 바카라사이트 exploitation of universities¡¯ labour and resources. Yet still we find ourselves in a situation where a university library cannot even provide a lecturer with a digital copy of a text that 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves have written specifically for use in teaching 바카라사이트ir students.

Caroline Ball is an academic librarian (business, law and social sciences) at 바카라사이트 University of Derby.