Oy! "Librarians Feel Sticker Shock as Price for Random House Ebooks Rises as Much as 300 Percent"

By Mike Kelley at Library Journal:

New prices for Random House’s ebooks took effect on Thursday, and as the details emerged a number of librarians across the country expressed dismay at the doubling and tripling in prices they are seeing.
“We’re very concerned. These are tough times for libraries. It’s very tough here in Louisville,” said Debbe Oberhausen, manager of collection services, at the Louisville Free Public Library. “We want to provide this service, but this kind of pricing is really going to take a huge chunk of our budget,” she said.
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Random House, which first announced the price hike (without details) on February 2 when it reaffirmed its commitment to the library ebook market, provided the following breakdown for what it is now charging library ebook distributors:

• Titles available in print as new hardcovers: $65- $85
• Titles available for several months, or generally timed to paperback release: $25-$50
• New children’s titles available in print as hardcovers: $35-$85
• Older children’s titles and children’s paperbacks: $25-$45

Read the Full Report, Includes Several Reactions to the Increase From Librarians

Filed under: Libraries, Public Libraries, Publishing