COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Audiobook lovers who use their library’s Libby app on their devices to listen to recorded material might not realize why everything they may want to hear isn’t available.
Recently, the Columbus Metropolitan Library in Ohio highlighted in a social media video why users will not find certain audio offerings on Libby. The post has received more than 50,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
“Why libraries can’t get audiobooks 🔒 Cathy, the library’s Digital Buying Lead, shows some challenges with Amazon’s ownership of ‘Audible Exclusives,’” the post’s caption reads.
The video features Cathy Mason, the library’s digital buying lead. Mason explains that her job is to manage Libby’s content, which includes audiobooks, e-books and magazines.
“It’s, it’s crushing, they want to listen to an audiobook, sadly, the library cannot buy the audiobook of that because it’s an Amazon exclusive,” Mason said in the roughly 90-second clip. “We’re stuck, there’s no way around it. And sometimes the author doesn’t even know, necessarily, all the details, which is troubling.”
Mason said that the library does not have many options when it comes to Audible Exclusives, except to buy other titles. She also detailed the complicated process of purchasing digital copies.
“Publishers, they have put governors, of sorts, on the licenses we buy,” Mason said. “One model, I buy 10 copies and we keep it forever and it circulates forever. The other two models are metered, some are metered by time and the other meter is by checkouts. So you pay a set price for 26 checkouts, but those checkouts can’t happen all at the same time. It’s one after another, just like a physical book, so you have to wait for someone to return the digital copy and then you can have it.”
Beyond the initial purchase, Mason needs to determine if the book will be popular enough to keep being checked out. Sought-after titles need to be bought repeatedly.
“But then there’s these ones that I can never buy, that I would buy over and over again,” Mason said. “But I can’t, because Audible has the exclusive contract. It’s locked down. It’s never going to happen that they give up something. I mean, unless someone buys Audible, I don’t think that’s happening.”
There were many comments on the post expressing outrage over Audible’s exclusive rights.
“Amazon exclusives shouldn’t exist,” said one person. “The monopolization of knowledge shouldn’t exist.”
“If Libby doesn’t have it, I’m not gonna read it,” another user said. “I utilize the library because I’ve already paid for it. I’m not gonna pay double and give Amazon some money. Bezos has enough money. I care about my library too much to pay money to an organization that wants to tear them down.”
Another individual suggested that Audible might be subverting the Americans with Disabilities Act, writing, “Audible Exclusives need to be challenged in court as an ADA violation.”
In general, there was support for Mason and the library system.
“I love her giving us the library tea!” a user shared. “She also explained that really well, I was wondering why I had to reserve digital copies of books! It’s really sad Amazon wouldn’t allow *libraries* to buy their exclusives – libraries are such an important resource!”
Libby is only one application under the OverDrive umbrella, the company which helps companies and organizations organize and distribute digital libraries. In addition to Libby, which focuses on e-book, audiobook, and magazine checkouts, OverDrive also offers Sora, a similar app built specifically for children’s content, and Kanopy, a streaming app for films and TV shows.
Some library users may also have access to Hoopla, an application that allows users check out all of the above, in addition to music and comics. Hoopla is not owned by OverDrive but many libraries work with the company and may offer both OverDrive application usage and Hoopla checkouts. For any questions about digital content, contact your local library.
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