Why eBooks Cost Libraries More—and How You Can Help

speech bubble with the phrase "why can't my library buy more e-books and audiobooks?"

The Addison Public Library has been offering e-books since 2010. Over the past 16 years, the collection, and usage by the Addison community, has grown exponentially. Unfortunately, so have the costs. The rising cost and pricing structure of e-materials puts an enormous strain on the library budget and limits what we can offer our community. 

Publishers set the pricing, and libraries often pay far more than individual consumers for the same content. For example, an e-book that costs a consumer $18 may cost a library anywhere from $60–$80 or more—and those licenses eventually expire, requiring libraries to repurchase the same titles.

The benefits of e-books are wide-ranging. They are portable and available on demand from anywhere. They also offer features that make reading more accessible to everyone. E-books offer the ability for users to modify the text and font size. There are even fonts designed to help individuals with dyslexia. 

E-audiobooks offer the same portability and on-demand experience in addition to bringing stories to the visually impaired, offers a reading experience through voices and sounds, and even makes it possible to enjoy a story while multitasking.

House Bill 5236, or the Digital Library Protection Act

House Bill 5236, the Digital Library Protection Act, aims to protect libraries from unfair terms and restrictions in licensing agreements for e‑books, digital audiobooks, and other digital materials. This bill would give libraries the ability to negotiate reasonable terms for eContent, helping protect both libraries and taxpayers while fairly compensating authors and publishers.

The Illinois Library Association is asking for help to move this act forward! The first step is to complete a Witness Slip in support of the bill. If this is your first time filling one out, you can find step-by-step instructions here. 

A hearing on HB 5236 is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, so please consider submitting a Witness Slip before then. Every submission makes a difference!

For more information about the bill, including a short video overview, please visit: www.ila.org/advocacy/ready-set-advocate-ebook-legislation.

Why can’t my library buy more e-books and audiobooks? e-Book and digital audiobook costs are too high for libraries, and access is limited. Rails.
Print books are owned by the library and can be used for decades until they’re worn out. e-Books and digital audiobooks are licensed, libraries don’t own them. Plus, publishers put limits on how long the content can be used: 1 or 2 years or 26 or 52 checkouts. Rails.
e-Books and audiobooks are free for patrons to use, but not free for libraries to offer. An average e-book costs a library 3.9 times more than what you would pay to buy it on your Kindle. A bar graph showing a substantial increase in library cost for e-books and e-audio compared to consumer costs. Rails.
Let’s see some real-time examples. Library costs reflect single user, 2-year limit agreement. A pricing chart for Never Flinch by Stephen King showing approximately 4 times the cost for the library e-book and audiobook. A pricing chart for Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry showing approximately 3.6 times the cost for the library e-book and 6 times the cost for the library audiobook. Rails.
The cost per circulation of an electronic title is 3.7 times higher than a physical title. 63 cents for a print book. $2.39 for an e-book. Pictograph showing that three people could check out the same print book for less than the cost of a single e-book checkout. Rails.
e-Content usage is increasing. In 2024, a mid-size, suburban public library saw a 25% increase in e-book circulation and a 15% increase in audiobook circulation. Radial progress chart displaying 27.2%. Libraries spend nearly one-third of their budget on digital content so their patrons can enjoy these popular titles. Rails.
How does this affect my community? Libraries will reach their budget breaking point. You’ll have limited options. Hold wait lists will get even longer. Rails.
Illinois is known for its leadership in support of libraries, but if publishers continue to control the terms of digital content for libraries, we’ll see an erosion of resource sharing across the state. We will lose one of the best things that makes Illinois stand out in the national library landscape. Rails.