UPDATED POST (June 12, 2013): Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed the ebook-public library study legislation (An Act Concerning a Study Regarding the Availability of Electronic Books to Users of Public Libraries, HB 5614) into law last week.
From a Statement by Connecticut Library Association President, Richard Conroy:
The act requires the Commissioner of Consumer Protection to conduct a study to survey “…whether and how book publishers and third-party electronic book distributors sell, license or otherwise make electronic books available to users of public libraries in this state.” The participants in the study are also charged with making “…recommendations to increase the availability of electronic books to users of public libraries in this state.” The study is to be completed, and a report made by the State Commissioner of Consumer Protection, no later than February 1, 2014.
“From our organization’s perspective this is a significant victory in our struggle to get the major publishers to work with public libraries with regard to their ebook pricing practices” said CLA President Richard Conroy. “The issue is very simple: public libraries want fair access to publishers’ ebooks at a reasonable price and with reasonable restrictions on lending policies. This is a very important first step toward making those goals a reality.”
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Original Post (May 30, 2013)
From the AP (via New Haven Register):
Connecticut lawmakers are sending the governor a bill mandating a study of the availability of e-books to Connecticut public libraries.
The Senate voted Thursday, 34-0, to require the commissioner of consumer protection to report to the General Assembly on the issue by Feb 1.
The bill must be signed by the governor to become law.
See Also: Read/Track the Legislation
See Also: Connecticut House of Representatives Unanimously Passes Bill to Study Library Access to Ebooks, Legislation Now Moves to State Senate (May 14, 2013)
Includes links to testimony by CT Library Association, Research Report, etc.
See Also: Full Text of HB 5614
AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF ELECTRONIC BOOKS TO USERS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) Within available appropriations, the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in consultation with the State Librarian and the Attorney General, shall conduct a study regarding the availability of electronic books to users of public libraries in this state. When conducting the study, said commissioner shall consider information provided by interested third parties, including, but not limited to, authors, representatives of public libraries, book publishers and third-party electronic book distributors.
(b) The study conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall include, but not be limited to, (1) a survey of whether and how book publishers and third-party electronic book distributors sell, license or otherwise make electronic books available to users of public libraries in this state, (2) what problems, if any, exist with current practices regarding the availability of electronic books to users of public libraries in this state, and (3) recommendations to increase the availability of electronic books to users of public libraries in this state.
(c) Not later than February 1, 2014, the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, shall report the results of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to consumer protection.
Approved June 6, 2013
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