Virginia: “Fairfax County Library May Turn to Congress to Address E-Book Costs”

From Fairfax Now:

Fairfax County leaders say it likely will be up to Congress to give public libraries relief from a complex and costly process of obtaining electronic materials.

In its first joint meeting with the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees in three years, the Board of Supervisors heard from the local library system on Tuesday (Oct. 15) on its efforts to get e-books and other electronic items without breaking the bank.

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“It kind of begs for some federal-government fix,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said.

Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman suggested Richmond was the wrong avenue, stating that he “wouldn’t bother with the state.” State Sen. Dave Marsden (D-35) introduced a measure in the 2023 General Assembly session that would’ve limited the conditions publishers can impose on libraries in licensing agreements, but the bill didn’t make it out of committee.

While organizations such as the American Library Association and Urban Libraries Council have raised the issue with federal lawmakers, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said Congress needs to hear directly from constituents.

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Additional Coverage From WTOP

Last year, the Fairfax County Library system had a budget of $1.2 million for electronics.

Authors are caught in the middle of the pricing and licensing model for electronic materials, said Coan.

“Books won’t be published if people aren’t making money from them,” she said. “We don’t want to do away with profit, but we would like to sustain our collections in a meaningful manner (to continue) offering great literature to our communities.”

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Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Libraries, News, Public Libraries