Illinois Bill Would Prevent Libraries From Paying Higher Prices for Digital Books and Audio Books
Rising E-Book Costs Force Libraries Into Impossible Choices
Illinois libraries are facing a growing crisis as the cost of digital books and audio books continues to skyrocket. Since 2020, the Champaign Public Library has seen prices for e-books rise by 30 to 40 percent each year, forcing difficult decisions about how to allocate taxpayer dollars.
This situation is driving state lawmakers to take action. Illinois House Bill 5236, introduced by State Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl, would prevent libraries from paying more than the general public for the same digital content. The bill would also allow libraries to control loan periods for materials like audiobooks and e-books.
The Library Price Gap
The financial disparity between what libraries pay and what consumers pay is stark. According to Nanette Donohue, technical services manager at Champaign Public Library, a consumer would pay approximately $15 for an e-book while libraries pay around $60 for the same item. Additionally, library versions expire after two years, requiring repurchase or permanent removal from the collection.
This is not isolated to Champaign. The Urbana Free Library uses the same Libby App partnership and faces identical challenges. Collections and technical services manager Rose Barnes says the bill would help smaller libraries with tighter budgets afford more digital copies.
"I work really hard to curate a collection that is excellent and to keep wait times down," Donohue said. "Part of the reason wait times are as long as they are is the cost of content."
Donohue estimates she receives 250 to 300 requests for e-books and audiobooks weekly. She often has to price out lists of requests that total between $25,000 and $30,000, making difficult decisions about what patrons can access given budget constraints.
What the Bill Would Do
If passed, House Bill 5236 would establish contracting rules around what is and is not appropriate in a taxpayer dollar contract for library books. The legislation would prevent libraries from entering contracts with publishers that charge higher prices for digital content compared to public consumers. Such contracts would be declared void if they do not comply with state contracting terms.
The bill would also allow libraries to determine their own loan periods for digital materials, including audiobooks and e-books. Currently, publishers limit how long libraries can lend digital content, which critics say hampers access for patrons.
Publishers Push Back
The Association of American Publishers has pushed back on the legislation. Kathryn Rexrode, Chief Communications Officer for the association, described the bill as fundamentally flawed. She stated the legislation infringes on the rights of authors and other creators, limits their ability to earn a living from their craft, and noted that a similar law has already been struck down as unconstitutional by a Federal Court.
"The publishers are free to offer terms that do or don't comply, but the libraries are not to enter these contracts anymore, and if they do, they will be declared void because they are not compliant with these state contracting terms," Katz Muhl said.
Donohue has never received a clear explanation from publishers for why digital content is more expensive for libraries than for consumers. She calls this a huge frustration point because libraries cannot meet patron demand for materials without unlimited funds.
Next Steps
The bill is currently in the Consumer Protection Committee and has not yet been voted on. Katz Muhl hopes to have the bill passed on the House floor this week. If passed, the act would move to the Senate and then to Governor J.B. Pritzker's desk for approval before becoming law.
Small libraries would be impacted the most, according to Rose Barnes of Urbana Free Library. She says the legislation would help them afford more digital copies and increase circulation per patron as demand grows.
"We have bargaining power as a big state with a lot of readers and a lot of books, and we should use it to say no thank you to terms that are not fair to us as readers and taxpayers," Katz Muhl said.
The bill faces a critical vote in the coming weeks as the Illinois legislature continues its spring session. Libraries across the state are watching closely, hoping for passage that would allow them to expand their digital collections and serve more patrons.