Public libraries in the United States, who have a audiobook and ebook collection, have to deal with all of the big five publishers. Each publisher has different terms and conditions, as well as pricing. This can create headaches for collection managers. Some books can 1200% more than what people pay on Amazon for the same title, while others expire after a certain number of loans. It can be quite confusing for journalists, patrons or libraries to understand what publishers are doing.
Last year Good e-Reader produced the first data report for its kind, looking at each publisher and their various lending models for ebooks. This year, the report now includes ebooks and audiobooks. The intention behind this report is to give journalists, readers, patrons and libraries an understanding of the various terms and conditions that the big 5 publishers have.
This data report is sourced from both Good e-Reader and countless interviews with various public libraries and Overdrive, the leading company that powers the audiobook and ebook collection of thousands of libraries in the United States.
| Big 5 Publishers (U.S. divisions) Lending and Purchase Models for Public Libraries (as of Nov. 1, 2019) | ||||
| Publisher | Ebook | Audiobook | ||
| Purchase Model | Lending Model | Purchase Model | Lending Model | |
| Hachette | Metered Access: Two-year term. | One-Copy/One-User | Metered Access: Two-year term. | One-Copy/One-User |
| HarperCollins | Metered Access: 26 circulations per purchase.
AND Cost-per-Circ Each circulation is paid for separately by the library. Select catalog, generally backlist (3+ years old). |
One-Copy/One-User | Standard purchase, no term or circulation limits.
AND Cost-per-Circ Each circulation is paid for separately by the library. Select catalog, generally backlist (3+ years old). |
One-Copy/One-User |
| Macmillan | Limited Access: 1 unit per library.
During the first 8 weeks of publication, titles are available under an Archive purchase model (OCOU without meter) with libraries limited to 1 unit per library/per title. Metered Access: Two-year term. After the first 8 weeks of publication, titles are available without restriction on units purchased a Metered Access model with a 2-year term for each unit. |
One-Copy/One-User | Standard purchase, no term or circulation limits. | One-Copy/One-User |
| Penguin Random House | Metered Access: Two-year term. | One-Copy/One-User | Standard purchase, no term or circulation limits. | One-Copy/One-User |
| Simon & Schuster | Metered Access: Two-year term.
AND Cost-per-Circ Each circulation is paid for separately by the library. Select catalog, generally backlist. |
One-Copy/One-User | Metered Access: Two-year term.
AND Cost-per-Circ Each circulation is paid for separately by the library. Select catalog, generally backlist. |
One-Copy/One-User |
In addition to the models noted above:
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Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.