As a librarian, I can tell you firsthand that ebooks are challenging the way we do business in practically every way. And yeah, they’re freakin expensive, too. Our library deals primarily with about five different ebook vendors, and lemme tell ya, they’re all different: pricing models, printing allowances, downloading allowances, reading methods, etc. etc. ad infinitum. And again, holy toledo they’re expensive (especially the academic titles).
Where all this is headed, I haven’t the faintest clue. But I do think we all need to recognize what a sea-change the internet and related tech represents, and we need to be able to foster services and resources that are available for the public good without making these goods and services wholly subservient to the gaping maw of capitalistic greed.
And now I will go back to playing with my MARC records and thinking about the difference between a multipart work and a series. Yeehaw!!
