DCMS consultation on e-lending in libraries

The DCMS is currently conducting a consultation on the topic of e-learning in libraries. It would be useful to make a submission to this. The closing date for responses is 5pm on Tuesday 6 November, so there isn't much time. They are asking for views on six themes, listed below. Please do feel free to contribute and help to shape our response. Thank you. --Stevie Benton (WMUK) (talk) 13:58, 5 November 2012 (UTC)

If contributions could be made and a final response reached by 3.30pm on Tuesday 6 November that allows us time to make a final submission. Thanks. --Stevie Benton (WMUK) (talk) 14:01, 5 November 2012 (UTC)

The panel and the request are described at [1]. The panel are considering the following areas, and welcome submissions from any interested parties:

Background

Wikimedia UK is the local chapter of the Wikimedia movement in the United Kingdom. We exist to help collect, develop and distribute freely licensed knowledge (and other educational, cultural and historic material) - in particular, doing so via the the Wikimedia projects, which includes Wikipedia. We achieve this by bringing the Wikimedia community in the UK together, and by building links with UK-based cultural institutions, universities, charities and other bodies.

In this response we have focused on e-lending of reference books and out-of-copyright fictional books rather than recently published fiction books.

1. The benefits of e-lending

Wikipedia editors make use of a wide variety of reference materials, in particular online via libraries. Increasing the range of reference and other works available for access online in the form of e-books would both increase the amount of content that Wikipedia could reference, and make it easier for readers of Wikipedia to access works referenced in Wikipedia articles.

2. The current level and nature of demand

The current level and nature of demand for e-lending in English libraries, along with a projection of future demand. For example, will e-lending be in addition to traditional borrowing of print books, or is it likely to transform the way in which library users access services? What is the demand for downloading e-books remotely, that is, away from library premises? To what extent do owners of e-readers value public e-lending above what is freely or commercially available elsewhere?

We feel it is likely to rise; awareness of what is already available is often low.

3. Current supply models

Current supply models, barriers to the supply of e-books to libraries, and likely future trends

Demand for access via mobile phones and other devices than a personal computer is likely to rise.

4. Systems for remunerating authors / publishers for e-lending

We note that a large amount of out-of-copyright books are currently digitally available, and could be made more widely available via e-lending without the need to remunerate authors for the work. We believe that it would not be appropriate to remunerate publishers for the provision of these out-of-copyright works.

6. Any unforeseen consequences

Any unforeseen consequences of e-lending. For example, the impact on those who cannot keep up with technology, the likely long-term impact on the model of highly localised physical library premises, skills requirements for librarians, etc

Are these unforeseen? Foreseen but difficult perhaps. Print book prices are perhaps likely to rise, decreasing access for "those who cannot keep up with technology". Librarians are likely to need new skills.

information starvation and malnutrition

As part of a global movement we see this mainly in a global perspective. The emerging business models mean that information is freely available. A lot of the world is disenfranchised from the supply of information. Facebook has about a billion users and Wikipedia has about half that. This is a small but growing portion of the human population. e-lending may require that we lock information so that we can deny access to those who haven't paid. But the same factors apply to some extent in the UK.