Are you frustrated by long wait times, lack of variety, and disappearing titles in Libby?
Did you know that libraries pay 3-10x more than consumers do for the same digital books through Libby? Then most of those books – which are leased, not purchased – are taken away after 12-24 months, or 26 checkouts?
The LION consortium – the shared collection that serves Blackstone Library patrons – has spent over $2 million on digital content since we began purchasing digital books through OverDrive. By the end of 2024, we had already lost access to over $1 million in content.
If you think this is an egregious abuse of taxpayer dollars, and you think libraries should be able to negotiate fair terms for e-books, you can make an impact by supporting SB1234: AN ACT MAKING CERTAIN TERMS IN ELECTRONIC BOOK AND DIGITAL AUDIOBOOK LICENSE AGREEMENTS OR CONTRACTS UNENFORCEABLE.
TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS LEGISLATION
Submit Written Testimony: Submit your written testimony to the following portal:
https://www.cga.ct.gov/aspx/CGATestimonySub/CGAtestimonysubmission.aspx?comm_code=gae
- Fill out your first and last name.
- Select 2/7/2025 2 p.m. for the hearing date.
- Select Supports
- Write SB1234 in the Bill Number field
- Upload or type in your testimony.
Appear for Oral Testimony: Otherwise known as testifying, this takes more work but is the most persuasive. This is your opportunity to tell the legislators considering this bill how you are personally impacted and gives them the opportunity to ask you questions. You can choose to appear at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford or appear remotely via Zoom.
You can register as a speaker here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZhQp42pYSUO8HD0_4O22QA#/registration
Some guidance on writing personal testimony:
- State your name and your town of residence.
- Be sure to include the bill number (SB1234) and state that you support this bill.
- Make it personal: Tell the committee how e-books impact your life.
- Do you have vision impairment and need large print?
- Do you have physical dexterity issues that make it difficult to hold a print book?
- Do you have a child with a learning disability who needs audiobooks or a dyslexia-friendly font?
- Do you have difficulty getting to the library during its regular service hours?
- Was there a time in your life when Libby was the only access you had to books?
- Keep your testimony succinct. Written testimony can be any length. Oral testimony is capped at 3 minutes. In either case, legislators appreciate brevity when possible.
- Don’t forget to ask your friends and family! Your children can submit testimony as well if they want to show their support for access to e-books.
While personal letters are preferred, form letters help too as they are judged on volume. If you would like a form letter here is some basic text you can copy:
I strongly support SB1234. Libraries should not be forced to accept unreasonable terms in their contracts for digital materials. I hope the Committee and Connecticut lawmakers will listen to their constituents who support this bill, and who voted for you in order to be heard. Together, we can ensure that electronic resources are available at a fair price to libraries and the taxpayers who use them.
To Learn More About the Problem with E-Books