Connecticut: Librarians and Lawmakers Fight Against High Cost of eBooks

From CT Insider:

A bill that would end many of the contract restrictions won unanimous approval last week in the legislative Planning and Development Committee, following recent public hearings that brought librarians from around the state to complain about the expensive landscape. A similar bill awaits action in the Government Administration & Elections Committee. Opposition has been led by the Association of American Publishers, who say the proposal is unconstitutional and would deprive authors of royalties.

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Ellen Paul, executive director of the Connecticut Library Consortium, said in a Monday interview that the publishers’ argument seems to be based on unrelated legislation that was overturned in Maryland and was vetoed in New York last year.

“I don’t think the publishers have read the bills in Connecticut,” Paul said. “What we’re doing here in Connecticut is contract law. The Connecticut legislature has purview over contracts in Connecticut. We have procurement law to ensure taxpayer dollars are used properly.” The legislation would allow librarians to set new contract terms for eBooks. “We’re saying if you would like to participate, these are the terms and conditions. It’s like the Connecticut DOT paying six times more for asphalt than a general contractor and every two years seeing the road disappear.”

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