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Director: rising e-book licensing costs are "eating up" library budgets; trustees discuss advocacy
Summary
The library director told trustees that rising e-book licensing costs are straining budgets, cited a 2021 Maryland law that was struck down after a publisher lawsuit, and said Connecticut-level work has bipartisan support but inconsistent enforcement. Trustees discussed potential advocacy actions to support broader efforts to curb publisher fees.
At the July 9 meeting trustees heard from the director that higher e-book licensing fees are increasingly burdensome for libraries.
"The rising cost ... is eating up the budgets of so many libraries," the director said, describing longer patron wait lists and constrained acquisitions. The director referenced a 2021 Maryland law that was later struck down after a lawsuit by the Association of American Publishers and said Connecticut—fforts had bipartisan backing from state legislators (the director mentioned Bob Duff and other senators) but that enforcement has been inconsistent.
Trustees suggested the board could consider advocacy or writing letters in support of state or national efforts to address publisher fees. "We can maybe brainstorm at some point about maybe something that the board can help in that effort or advocate, or be part of a statewide effort," one trustee said.
The board did not adopt a formal advocacy position at the meeting; the director said she would bring more information at a future meeting as the issue remains an ongoing concern for the library's operating budget.
Background: The director said the Connecticut Library Consortium and state lawmakers have discussed measures intended to limit fees charged by publishers for e-book access, but she characterized enforcement as uneven and noted the legal challenge in Maryland as a complicating factor. The transcript did not include text of any proposed Connecticut statute or the specific enforcement mechanism.
