Information Today, Inc. Corporate Site KMWorld CRM Media Streaming Media Faulkner Speech Technology Unisphere/DBTA
PRIVACY/COOKIES POLICY
Other ITI Websites
American Library Directory Boardwalk Empire Database Trends and Applications DestinationCRM Faulkner Information Services Fulltext Sources Online InfoToday Europe KMWorld Literary Market Place Plexus Publishing Smart Customer Service Speech Technology Streaming Media Streaming Media Europe Streaming Media Producer Unisphere Research



 



News & Events > NewsBreaks February 23, 2025 
Back Index Forward
Threads bluesky LinkedIn FaceBook Instagram RSS Feed
Weekly News Digest

January 21, 2020 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today.

CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.

ReadersFirst Shares a Financial Impact Analysis of the Macmillan Boycott

ReadersFirst (RF) published an article, “Is the Macmillan Boycott Working?” Two library staffers whose libraries are no longer buying Macmillan ebooks “have collaborated on a financial impact analysis of the boycott thus far and asked to publish it with RF.” It states, in part:

As of the date of publication, 79 library systems and consortia have ceased to purchase Macmillan eBooks in protest of their new sales policy, which limits library eLending. These libraries represent 1,163 locations in 28 states, and serve 47.9 million people, which is equivalent to the total population of California plus the population of New York City. …

[T]he boycotting libraries are making a difference, creating an 83% loss in revenue instead of an 8.5% gain. If about one in 10 library systems cease to purchase Macmillan eBooks, they will offset the gains Macmillan hoped to make and ensure that its revenue is flat. For every library that boycotts after that, Macmillan will see a net loss on the embargo strategy. …

In the meantime, we are looking at the results of the boycott to determine impact to patrons. … [W]e conclude that readers who normally would have discovered Macmillan books are discovering Macmillan’s competitor authors instead. …

In our opinion, a national outcry from a valuable customer is reason enough alone [for] Macmillan to drop the embargo. However, it appears willing to gamble that despite libraries’ frustrations, we will continue to pay the bills. The boycotting libraries have said no, and we invite other libraries to join us. Collectively, we can ensure that embargoes are too expensive for any publisher to implement.

For more information, read the article.



Send correspondence concerning the Weekly News Digest to NewsBreaks Editor Brandi Scardilli

Related Articles

6/8/2021Maryland's 2021 Library Digital Content Law: A Modest Beginning
3/19/2020Macmillan Cancels Its Ebook Embargo; ALA Responds
3/10/2020'Is Macmillan Reconsidering Its Library E-Book Embargo?' by Andrew Albanese
2/4/2020A Roundup of the Latest Macmillan News
1/28/2020Macmillan CEO Talks to Librarians at ALA Midwinter
12/10/2019ALA News Roundup and a Look Ahead to 2020
11/19/2019ALA's Report to Congress on Libraries and the Ebook Industry: A Primer
11/5/2019The Digital Reader Weighs In on Macmillan Controversy
11/5/2019ALA Update on Macmillan's New Ebook Policy
9/24/2019The Digital Reader Chimes In on Macmillan Controversy
8/27/2019ALA Encourages Opposition to Macmillan's Ebook-Purchasing Policy
8/27/2019Publishers Are on a Collision Course With Libraries
8/6/2019'Libraries Are Fighting to Preserve Your Right to Borrow E-Books' by Jessamyn West
7/16/2019ALA Confronts Ebook Policy Changes
9/11/2018'Evolution in the Library Ebook Market' by Alan S. Inouye
6/20/2017Print Books vs. Ebooks: Who's Up, Who's Down, and Where Are We Headed?
1/28/2014ReadersFirst Contributes to the Ebook-Lending Conversation
1/21/2020Embargoing Libraries: A Losing Proposition for All


Comments Add A Comment

Ctrl + p to print          Ctrl + D to bookmark      Back to top