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News & ArtsTuesday, June 29, 2010
Tech / Books / Teh Internets On Taking E-Books Out of the Library
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 1:13 PM
Many libraries now have e-books available (here's SPL's digital library), but the system still doesn't feel very modern; for the most part, libraries can only loan out one copy of the e-book at a time. I can understand why that is the way it is, but it's preposterous to loan a digital copy out the same way you loan out a physical book.
The Wall Street Journal reports that some libraries have joined together to launch Open Library, a new way for libraries to deal with e-books:
Starting Tuesday, a group of libraries led by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library, are joining forces to create a one-stop website for checking out e-books, including access to more than a million scanned public domain books and a catalog of thousands of contemporary e-book titles available at many public libraries.
It's fairly equivalent to Google Books, but it's more open-source. As a real first step toward the digital future of libraries, it's very interesting.
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Those libraries joined to launch a new project from Open Library, which has existed for several years.
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The SPL system may not seem very modern, but give them a break. They are dealing with massive, longterm, spending cuts. Their budget has been cut several times in recent years, will be cut again this year. With the huge deficit predicted for the city next year, the library will undoubtedly face more significant cuts again next year.
Just where do you propose SPL is supposed to find the cash to program and implement a snazzy new digital loan system?
Just where do you propose SPL is supposed to find the cash to program and implement a snazzy new digital loan system?
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I think we've got two extreme models competing. The Amazon/B&N buy reader model, and the library free limited license model.
I would prefer something like Rhapsody for books (or Book of the Month Club) where you pay a monthly fee, like $10, and get unlimited access to all the books in the library with no waiting for others.
I would prefer something like Rhapsody for books (or Book of the Month Club) where you pay a monthly fee, like $10, and get unlimited access to all the books in the library with no waiting for others.
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Wait, why does anyone need to "check out" public domain titles? They're public domain. That means you can have them. I mean you could check out a DRMed EPUB of Dracula (or complain about it being out of stock in SPL's OverDrive), pay Amazon $22.99 for a Kindle edition, or you could download one of the many free, non-DRMed editions out there.
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@3 is correct, tho. Oh, and if you want a public domain work, why not buy the original printed version at one of the epress machine locations like the UW Bookstore etc etc etc?
Jules Verne first edition in the original French or first flawed German translation is cool, especially the engravings for the woodblocks.
Jules Verne first edition in the original French or first flawed German translation is cool, especially the engravings for the woodblocks.
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@1 "Record the output" of an ebook? Wat?
But you're at least right on the DRM thing. Overdrive offers books in PDF (ugh, not an ebook format!) and EPUB with Adobe's ADEPT DRM that's easily breakable, as well as Mobi with easily broken DRM. With the Adobe files, you can "return" them to the library at any time using Digital Editions, so do your part -- check out a book, crack the DRM on it so you can read it for however long you like, and return it so others can check it out as well.
Mobi doesn't have any way to return a book early, so choose the lowest rental period (7 days for KCLS), crack it, and then read it at your leisure.
And before too many people get on me about "stealing" from the library, many readers don't support DRM or certain formats so you have to crack the file if you want to read it on your chosen device. For example, my Sony PRS-300 will read DRMed EPUB files but won't read Mobi files at all, and even with the EPUB files it doesn't play nice (no full justification). For best results, I need to convert the books to LRF. Similarly, Stanza on my iPhone and Aldiko on the girlfriend's Incredible don't support DRMed EPUBs, so if we want to use either of those readers we have to take off the DRM.
But you're at least right on the DRM thing. Overdrive offers books in PDF (ugh, not an ebook format!) and EPUB with Adobe's ADEPT DRM that's easily breakable, as well as Mobi with easily broken DRM. With the Adobe files, you can "return" them to the library at any time using Digital Editions, so do your part -- check out a book, crack the DRM on it so you can read it for however long you like, and return it so others can check it out as well.
Mobi doesn't have any way to return a book early, so choose the lowest rental period (7 days for KCLS), crack it, and then read it at your leisure.
And before too many people get on me about "stealing" from the library, many readers don't support DRM or certain formats so you have to crack the file if you want to read it on your chosen device. For example, my Sony PRS-300 will read DRMed EPUB files but won't read Mobi files at all, and even with the EPUB files it doesn't play nice (no full justification). For best results, I need to convert the books to LRF. Similarly, Stanza on my iPhone and Aldiko on the girlfriend's Incredible don't support DRMed EPUBs, so if we want to use either of those readers we have to take off the DRM.
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@7: Your comments are apt, sensible, and I am very much in agreement. Unfortunately, you are by these very acts violating the bogus but enforceable DMCA. Circumventing copy-protection (the ADEPT DRM in this case) is explicitly forbidden.
You might, however, point out that OverDrive is completely unusable to our poor Kindle-adopting readers within the terms of DMCA (and Kindle's license agreement). People seem to get exercised over Kindle and things that don't work for it.
Am I the only one who thinks it's time to start berating the folks behind the DRM-dependent platforms or the proponents of our fascistly fetishistic IP laws instead of trying to come up with meandering, slow-moving workarounds?
You might, however, point out that OverDrive is completely unusable to our poor Kindle-adopting readers within the terms of DMCA (and Kindle's license agreement). People seem to get exercised over Kindle and things that don't work for it.
Am I the only one who thinks it's time to start berating the folks behind the DRM-dependent platforms or the proponents of our fascistly fetishistic IP laws instead of trying to come up with meandering, slow-moving workarounds?
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@5: you could also pay $3 (or less) for Signet edition of Dracula at a used bookstore and not worry about it being sucked up into the electronic ether. In general, I applaud the libraries for not letting books out electronically will-I, nill-I. Some bandwagons are not worth jumping on. The time will come, but SPL has their spending priorities in the right place.
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@9: I disagree. Online ebook loans was the main reason I finally got around to getting my KCLS card after living in King County for 9 years. More people using the library and aware of what they're doing is a good thing, as it leads directly to people being willing to pay more taxes, get involved, etc.
Personally, I wish they'd focus less on teen vampire books and more on quality scifi and fiction, but there are some good gems in the ebook collection. They should focus more on ebooks, not less.
Personally, I wish they'd focus less on teen vampire books and more on quality scifi and fiction, but there are some good gems in the ebook collection. They should focus more on ebooks, not less.
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