Report: cheaper ebooks for libraries could "revolutionise the promotion of reading"
- Arts Council England-funded research finds ebook lending increases access to reading
- Data shows prolific borrowers are also heavy book buyers
- Call for more flexible licensing to allow eborrowing for book groups, author talks and literary festivals
Publishers could open up important new promotional and reader development opportunities by making ebooks cheaper and more accessible to public libraries, according to a new report funded by Arts Council England.
The report, from charity Libraries Connected, is the conclusion of a major project to understand new opportunities for libraries and publishers to boost reading and promote writers through increasing the affordability and availability of ebooks to public libraries.
Ebook lending has been offered by public libraries in the UK since 2008, facilitated by apps such as Libby and Borrowbox (from Overdrive and Bolinda respectively). The cost to libraries of buying ebooks is significantly higher than print, however, and the dominance of a "one copy, one user" licensing model often results in long waiting lists. And despite steadily increasing demand, the overall selection of ebooks offered by publishers to libraries remains relatively small.
Last year Arts Council England awarded Libraries Connected – which represents public library services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - £49,830 to explore ways of overcoming these challenges, working collaboratively with publishers and trade bodies.
The charity worked with 16 publishers – including Canongate, Faber and Hachette, which has previously only offered limited ebook lending – and 28 library services to pilot a range of more flexible licences on a list of around 250 titles. The piloted licences included one that allowed simultaneous lending of the same title, giving libraries the opportunity to promote ebooks through author talks and festivals – something usually prevented by the "one copy, once user" model.
Alongside the pilot, with a further £35,000 of Arts Council England investment, Libraries Connected commissioned consultancy Independent Mind to undertake market and audience research into library users’ ebook buying and borrowing habits with 23 of the participating library services. Using four sources of data - demographic mapping of active ebook borrowers, baseline and follow-up surveys (with over 27,000 responses combined) and in-depth interviews - the research found that:
- Those who borrow ebooks are more likely to buy ebooks than those who do not - and those who borrow more, buy more
- 28% of ebook borrowers come from lower-income households
- Just 7% of registered library users are ebook borrowers
The report recognises the opportunities for publishers and libraries to work together more closely to grow reading habits, and calls on publishers to permanently offer a wider range of licensing models, to align ebook prices more closely with print book prices, to make a wider range of ebooks available to libraries and to provide promotional materials to libraries more readily.
Isobel Hunter MBE, chief executive of Libraries Connected, said:
"This important research shows the enormous potential of elending to promote reading and support reader development. By working collaboratively we can harness the reach and accessibility of ebooks to attract new readers and engage audiences. The task now is to ensure the culture and practice of elending develops to make the most of these opportunities."
Anthony Hopkins, Director of Culture, Sport and Libraries at Merton Council and trustee of Libraries Connected said:
"As one of the library services that took part in the pilot, we’ve seen first-hand the potential of wider elending to reach new audiences and engage people in reading. The research also shows clearly that publishers shouldn’t see ebook lending as a threat – in fact it’s an opportunity to revolutionise the promotion of reading. I hope the project will bring about a new approach to elending across the sector that will create business opportunities for publishers, improve value for libraries and expand choice for readers."
Luke Burton, Director, Libraries, Arts Council England, said:
"With over 3,000 branches, public libraries are ideally placed to support the public demand for ebooks which has grown steadily in recent years. The terms under which ebooks can be lent, however, are different from physical books, which restrict their availability to library borrowers, and prevent libraries from holding strong, relevant, contemporary digital collections. We commissioned this pilot project to explore how changes to ebook licences might benefit readers and libraries, writers and publishers by opening up choice and access to bigger collections. We also invested in a consumer habit survey to understand any connectivity between borrowing and buying habits, which has suggested that greater lending can sit alongside more prolific purchasing. There are positive outcomes for all parties from the data and analysis in these two projects, and I welcome the opportunity to develop further collaboration between publishers and libraries to increase reading behaviours and opportunities."
Ebook lending in public libraries: project summary report
For media enquiries and interviews with participating publishers or library services please contact James Gray, Communications and Advocacy Manager at Libraries Connected - email james.gray@librariesconnected.org.uk or call/WhatsApp 07849085762
The project was led by Emma House, founder of global publishing consultants Oreham Group and former deputy CEO of the Publishers’ Association, with a national reference group including the Booksellers Association, British Library, The Reading Agency, The Publishers Association, the Society of Authors and CILIP.