http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/02/19/childrens-book-author-says-libraries-are-stealing-his-money Comments On: Children's Book Author Says Libraries Are Stealing His Money by Paul Constant en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Fri, 24 May 2013 09:45:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
This fool sits at home vexed by the fear that he has somehow been cheated out of the one or two coins that he simply must have to top off his pot of gold. Silas lives!

So, if I buy his book then burn it, he's happy. But, if I buy it and read it to a group of kids, he'd be furious as hell that these dirty, little thieves all heard the story for free.

Let's all help calm his nerves - stop buying his books.

Problem solved.
Posted by Greed makes paupers of us all]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 05:44:58 -0800 The Stranger
Honestly, his rant isn't worth much thought beyond, "huh, Britain has dipshit conservatives, too."
Posted by Orv]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:25 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Arkham]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:58:31 -0800 The Stranger Posted by sirkowski]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:17:28 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Otto Toot Otto]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:04:05 -0800 The Stranger Posted by high and bi]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:21:37 -0800 The Stranger Posted by yucca flower]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:37:05 -0800 The Stranger
Guaranteed sales!

Plus, it was fun to do programs there.

Oh, and how I became a published author? Those childhood trips to the library...
Posted by judybrowni]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:33:32 -0800 The Stranger
Also, if they are at all like me, their late fines are a key component of library funding!
Posted by cracked]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:21:21 -0800 The Stranger
I have a few friends who are library fanatics; they check out books and movies in high volume. But, they are fairly well off; meaning they could afford to spend money on these items.

Is this in keeping with the spirit of libraries? Is there an ethic to self-limiting use of a library if you can afford to pay for such items?

I've never asked this question. :-)
Posted by Timothy]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:06:13 -0800 The Stranger
The main point, of course, is that this largely amounts to this fellow being upset that society subsidizes poor kids having access to books.
Posted by Warren Terra]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:50:11 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Ruke]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:19:44 -0800 The Stranger

Posted by Chris Jury]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:19:32 -0800 The Stranger
It's only now that I'm a responsible cheapskate that I feel comfortable borrowing books from the library and reading them only once.
Posted by keshmeshi]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:57:36 -0800 The Stranger
I'm sure my dad grew to loathe Mr. Popper's Penguins.
Posted by keshmeshi]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:54:16 -0800 The Stranger Where the Wild Things Are or The Cat in the Hat you read it until the pages fall apart and then buy another copy and read that until its in pieces.

A children's book author who only gets read in libraries needs a new line of work.
Posted by Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:51:08 -0800 The Stranger Posted by fletc3her]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:42:41 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Proteus]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:03:20 -0800 The Stranger http://www.marcmorris.org.uk/2013/02/a-l…
Posted by Thel]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:33:15 -0800 The Stranger Posted by unpaid reader]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:11:16 -0800 The Stranger
Posted by UNPAID COMMENTER]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:06:32 -0800 The Stranger
News to me.
Posted by TheMisanthrope]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:03:28 -0800 The Stranger Posted by internet_jen]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:46:21 -0800 The Stranger
Second, libraries are not free. Seattleites pay about $100 per capita PER YEAR for the library system. Plus fines that only a subset of us pay.

Third, if libraries were phased out, authors would not necessarily see royalties increase. The existence of libraries merely makes books and media accessible; the existence of libraries does not mean library users would spend their money on new copies of books and media, sending royalties to publishers and authors. There is ample evidence that this is in fact not true.

Fourth, if libraries didn't exist, most books would become unavailable over time because publishers do not make out-of-print, old, or out-of-copyright titles easily available for purchase. Libraries have an archival and documentary function that publishers cannot and will never replicate.

Fifth, libraries promote education and literacy, particularly of children. Future consumers of books are nurtured in libraries. Publishers aren't known for their long games, but libraries do much to ensure we have a public of avid readers who will actually buy books. Communities without libraries or well-funded/well-stocked libraries also buy fewer books in bookstores.
Posted by Simac]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:45:30 -0800 The Stranger Posted by kalel80806]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:45:14 -0800 The Stranger