E-Books Can Subvert Book Bans, But Corporate Profit-Seeking Stands in the Way

Exorbitant costs and restrictive licenses are obstructing libraries’ efforts to resist book bans via access to e-books.

By   Laura Crossett

    March 10, 2024

The past few years have seen record e-book lending for libraries — as well as record profits for OverDrive, the company that provides e-books access for 95 percent of libraries in the U.S. (OverDrive’s profits have trickled up — the company was bought by the private equity firm K.K.R. in 2015.) But as library e-book lending has taken off, so has another trend: book bans. Book bans, library board takeovers and efforts designed to remove books from school and public library shelves are rampant, with 158 bills attempting to ban everything from books to drag queen story times introduced in state legislatures in 2023.

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continua qui: https://truthout.org/articles/e-books-can-subvert-book-bans-but-corporate-profit-seeking-stands-in-the-way/