Canada: Ajax Public Library Grapples With Cost of Digital Collection

From the Ajax (Ontario) News Advertiser:

The high cost of e-books and the impact on taxpayers has prompted the Ajax Public Library to join an advocacy campaign asking the provincial government to find solutions.
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“Libraries are interested in this campaign because no matter the size, libraries are feeling the pinch from e-content,” said Donna Bright, chief librarian and executive officer at the Ajax Public Library.
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The Ajax Public Library asked for and received an extra $40,000 in funding for e-content in the 2015 Ajax municipal budget, bringing its total budget for e-content to $113,000 this year.

“Our purchasing powers were becoming less and less and the cost of digital content was increasing and increasing but the budget was not,” said Ms. Bright.

In comparison, $254,000 is budgeted for traditional books and media.

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“Really all we can do is advocate with governments that exert pressure on the publishing industry, and within the industry,” said Ms. Bright. “This is not an Ajax library issue, it’s an issue for all libraries. We’d like to see a fair arrangement for authors, and for publishing companies and a fair arrangement for libraries.”

Read the Complete Article
See Also: List of Ebook Services Available to Ajax Public Library Cardholders

See Also: British Columbia: E-Books Proving Costly For Richmond Public Library (February 4, 2015)

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries, Publishing