Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
2204. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her attention has been drawn to the issue regarding the sustainability and accessibility of e-books; if her Department is examining legislation to ensure that e-books are made available to libraries under reasonable terms and conditions as called for by an organization (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41821/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDemand for eBook and eAudiobook services increased substantially in March 2020 due to the closure of public libraries in response to the pandemic. My department responded to the growth in demand for these services by providing funding of €400,000 for eBook and eAudiobooks.
However, libraries cannot generally buy eBooks and eAudiobooks. They can only licence them which means they must accept the restrictions that publishers place on these items, something they do not have to do with print books. Bolinda are the current provider of eBook and eAudiobook services for our public library service but it is the publishers, who set the terms and conditions under which the majority of popular titles can be licensed. This results in a lot of funding going into re-purchasing bestsellers and popular titles, and there is less money available to grow the collection.
My department is aware that the cost of eBooks is also an issue for the academic library sector, and through the Libraries Development Unit in the LGMA, has been fully engaged with the president of the LAI, Cathal McCauley, since last year on this issue. We brought the matter to the attention of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in 2021 and continue to explore all options, including those at European level, to improve the situation for our libraries and their users.
