LISNews: Librarian News

Terry Dreary does not understand the nature of libraries if he or she has already doomed them to some Victorian throwback.

British Libraries have not been unfair to authors or publishers as Dreary alleges. Public Libraries don't get free books. They buy their books, which being collectively owned, they then lend to their members.

Curiously enough, many writers borrow books from libraries and use reference materials in order to carry out research for their own books. Many writers work closely with libraries to promote their own work, and enlarge their own readership, realizing that the relationship is of considerable mutual benefit.

This system of collective ownership of resources, shared use, mutual aid and free access is not at all out-moded or past its sell-by date - as has been shown by the free software movement. Indeed many writers recognise its importance and now use creative commons licensing rather than normal copyright statements in their books.

Far from being bypassed by history Libraries provide a working model that should be adopted throughout society.