More expensive. Less equitable. No money for Australian authors.

A quick glance around the shelves of Port Phillip’s libraries will reveal an uninviting collection of tired, tatty, grubby books. Port Phillip has the oldest collection of printed books (physical items) of any Victorian municipal library service.

According to the figures it submits to the in-depth Public Library Victoria Annual Statistical Survey, over 56% of its collection is over five years old. But, Port Phillip council officers prefer to quote the figures they submit to the less comprehensive Local Government Victoria Performance Reporting Framework. In these figures print books are combined with e-books and surprise, surprise, it knocks years off the figures. They come down to 49.18% over five years old.

Now, e-books have benefits but…. libraries do not own e-books. They subscribe to them by buying a licence for either a number of loans or a length of time. When the licence expires, a new licence has to be bought*. The cost per loan for a fiction e-book is 31% higher than the cost per loan for a fiction print book*. Australian authors receive a royalty for library print books through the federal government's Public Lending Right scheme. They receive nothing from library e-books*.

Over 50% of e-book sales are in the adult romance, detective, and fiction categories. For most students, print is the most effective and inclusive way to learn and to retain knowledge long-term, and at a time of declining levels of literacy in Australia, why on earth is Port Phillip spending so much on e-books rather than investing in a better print book collection?

Similar councils such as Hobsons Bay and Stonnington have 67.33% and 82.98% of their library collection less than 5 years old^.


*Source:  Sue Mc Kerracher, CEO of the Australian Libraries and Information Association, ABC Radio National Rear Vision, 24 October 2021.
^ Source: https://knowyourcouncil.vic.gov.au/compare-councils?service_area_key=libraries&primary=15341&councils=16573&councils=16793