Thread: electronic library : you can borrow Guy Lautard Book

Some ebook figures from Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremygr...-for-an-ebook/

The average sales price of a top selling ebook is $8. $10 seems to be a threshold that consumers are reluctant to exceed.

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Some ebook figures from Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremygr...-for-an-ebook/

The average sales price of a top selling ebook is $8. $10 seems to be a threshold that consumers are reluctant to exceed.

Note - 'best selling' e-book. I quite agree; I bought a copy of Joe Nesbo's 'The Snowman' in Big W for $12.95. I certainly wouldn't pay more for an e-book with much, much more restrictive copyright conditions.

Tech and niche interest publications are playing by different rules.

PDW

Please be advised that some counter productive comments had taken place between some members. These has been removed from the thread as they offer nothing to the discussion.

Thank you

Hi,

Sorry if this question has already been asked or answered but if you buy a e-book can you print it out like a pdf file?

Ben

Hi Ben,
genrally you can print out e-books. However, that option is up top the seller. Even with pdf files its very easy to prevent people printing them. So do check.

Anything like that on a computer can be easily got around to get a printed copy..

FYI,

Below is response from virtual library to my query regarding whether or not they regarded their digital copy of the book was legal.

Its an interesting response. They seem to be trying to be ethical.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi and thank you for contacting us.

Here's what happens with items in our library - we receive donated copies of physical books, either from library discards or individuals. Our scanning center will scan the book and make a digital copy available for checkout which is a virtual representation of the physical book. The physical book goes into a shipping container in our warehouse so no one is able to look at the physical copy, in effect making the digital copy the only one that is accessible. We loan these out for a two week period. It's like borrowing a library book in that only one person is allowed access to a single copy of a book at a time, it's just that in our case it is a single digital copy you are able to borrow remotely, rather than a single physical copy you would be checking out from a library. I hope this makes the author feel better - we're not trying to take away from his profits, we're just operating like a library would, only in the virtual realm. Please let me know if I can provide any further explanation or details.

Thanks for using openlibrary.org and archive.org

The Open Library Team/mk
[email protected]

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Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Our local regional Council library has books like this.

That aside I have all 3 of Guys books and would dearly love to buy the fourth edition.

Grahame

Me too Grahame have the 3 copies and looking foward to the no4 .A valuable shelf asset for all of us cheers John.

Originally Posted by steamingbill

. . . - we receive donated copies of physical books, either from library discards or individuals. Our scanning center will scan the book and make a digital copy available for checkout which is a virtual representation of the physical book. The physical book goes into a shipping container in our warehouse so no one is able to look at the physical copy, in effect making the digital copy the only one that is accessible. We loan these out for a two week period. It's like borrowing a library book in that only one person is allowed access to a single copy of a book at a time, it's just that in our case it is a single digital copy you are able to borrow remotely, rather than a single physical copy you would be checking out from a library. I hope this makes the author feel better - we're not trying to take away from his profits, we're just operating like a library would, only in the virtual realm. Please let me know if I can provide any further explanation or details.
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From an authors point of view there are still several small flaws in this argument.

The first one is the book never wears out, gets damaged or lost so there is never a need for the library to buy another copy of the book.

The second is if it is a popular book, shipping a physical book to and from to readers takes time so physical libraries will often buy several copies of a popular book. When a book is available instantly this will be less of a problem and less need to but multiple copies.

These factors are in fact used (some might say exaggerated) by ebook publishing companies to charge libraries for the use of ebooks and audiobooks. When Libraries buy (or more accurately buy a licence for their readers to access these products from the publishers website) an ebook, the licence only lasts for a set period (e.g. 12 months) or for a set number of loans (e.g. 25 loans) and then the library has to buy another copy (licence) of the book.

Hey,

I found some legal hard copies of the 3 "bedsides" available for loan at QUT library

http://www.library.qut.edu.au/ - do a search on machinists bedside reader it will list all 3

They will do interstate library loans for $16, if you are a card carrying university library member you might get them without a fee. However you can get the books for $60 upwards on internet

Don't get too excited by the electronic copy that shows up on Australian National Library searches - they refer to the link that started this thread.

Have managed to get a hard copy of #3 at a reasonable price and will continue looking for #1 and #2 at reasonable prices. Am happy enough with #3 to fork out 120+ for the other 2 but buying #3 at more than $50 was an act of faith.

Edit 2hrs later - Just bought 1 and 2 for $65 each at http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/ploughboo...1&_ipg=&_from=

It is frustrating that the cheapest copies on Amazon often don't post to Australia. I dont mind a bit of oil and grease and a few thumbprints.

If I paid myself $30 and hour for my time spent searching for library copies and cheapest online bookshop copies over last 12 months I'd have enough to have bought them all and have some cash left over. Theres a moral there somewhere.

Plough books may have copies of all 3 books if the catalogue is up to date.

http://www.ploughbooksales.com.au/
The First and Second Machinists Bedside readers are $65, and the Third is $75.

Grahame