My sort of back of the envelope figure is that one borrowing of an ebook costs the library system on the order of ten times as much as one borrowing of the physical book.<\/p>
A common contract for an ebook via Libby is a two-year rental that allows 26 circs, for\u2014depending\u2014something like a hundred bucks. That\u2019s a few dollars per circ. <\/p>
Hardback books cost about a third that much and circulate many more times. Probably tens of cents per circ or better.<\/p>","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909952955128482","status_net":{"notice_id":null}},"to":[{"objectType":"http:\/\/activitystrea.ms\/schema\/1.0\/collection","id":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/collection\/public"}],"status_net":{"conversation":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-13:objectType=thread:nonce=2b39322e1c87505f","notice_info":{"local_id":"12883597","source":"ActivityPub","repeat_of":"12883588"}},"published":"2026-07-13T03:26:10+00:00","provider":{"objectType":"service","displayName":"GNU social JP","url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/"},"title":"dalias repeated a notice by CoolerPseudonym","verb":"share","url":"https:\/\/hachyderm.io\/users\/dalias\/statuses\/116910531255921267\/activity"},{"actor":{"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym","displayName":"dB Cooper","status_net":{"avatarLinks":[{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-original-tmp20260320220227.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":400,"height":400},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-96-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":96,"height":96},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-48-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":48,"height":48},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-24-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":24,"height":24}],"profile_info":{"local_id":"152194"}},"image":{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-96-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":96,"height":96},"objectType":"person","summary":"\u201cAnd so goes he forth: a clamless shell, as it were\u2014a man of straw\u2014a house untenanted\u2014a futile, motile void." \u2013 George HerrimanGen X Jewish Midwesterner in exurban Nashville, TN, USPhD in philosophyUtopian sewer socialistSoccer, cooking, the ruthless criticism of everything existing, and cats","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym","portablecontacts_net":{"preferredUsername":"CoolerPseudonym","displayName":"dB Cooper","note":"\u201cAnd so goes he forth: a clamless shell, as it were\u2014a man of straw\u2014a house untenanted\u2014a futile, motile void." \u2013 George HerrimanGen X Jewish Midwesterner in exurban Nashville, TN, USPhD in philosophyUtopian sewer socialistSoccer, cooking, the ruthless criticism of everything existing, and cats"}},"content":"
Librarians, being good public servants, will tell you to borrow books without guilt. You\u2019re a taxpayer, or the child of one, and library material is for you; in any case, the library can advocate for realistic budgets based on what the patrons actually use.<\/p>
I think this is a kindly lie. Library budgets are shrinking, never increasing, and the opportunity cost of these huge ever-growing Libby contracts is severe. They\u2019re strangling everything else the library might do.<\/p>","generator":{"id":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-30:notice-source:ActivityPub","objectType":"application","status_net":{"source_code":"ActivityPub"}},"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909953524547780","object":{"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909953524547780","objectType":"note","content":"
Librarians, being good public servants, will tell you to borrow books without guilt. You\u2019re a taxpayer, or the child of one, and library material is for you; in any case, the library can advocate for realistic budgets based on what the patrons actually use.<\/p>
I think this is a kindly lie. Library budgets are shrinking, never increasing, and the opportunity cost of these huge ever-growing Libby contracts is severe. They\u2019re strangling everything else the library might do.<\/p>","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909953524547780","status_net":{"notice_id":null},"inReplyTo":{"objectType":"note","id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909952955128482","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909952955128482"}},"to":[{"objectType":"http:\/\/activitystrea.ms\/schema\/1.0\/collection","id":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/collection\/public"}],"status_net":{"conversation":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-13:objectType=thread:nonce=2b39322e1c87505f","notice_info":{"local_id":"12883596","source":"ActivityPub"}},"published":"2026-07-13T03:26:06+00:00","provider":{"objectType":"service","displayName":"GNU social JP","url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/"},"verb":"post","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909953524547780"},{"actor":{"id":"https:\/\/hachyderm.io\/users\/dalias","displayName":"Rich Felker","status_net":{"avatarLinks":[{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/40873-original-tmp20221202140938.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":400,"height":400},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/40873-96-20221207231635.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":96,"height":96},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/40873-48-20221207231635.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":48,"height":48},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/40873-24-20221207231635.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":24,"height":24}],"profile_info":{"local_id":"40873"}},"image":{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/40873-96-20221207231635.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":96,"height":96},"objectType":"person","summary":"C librarian, purveyor of the language's eldritch horrors. Poppin' shells \ud83e\uddaa","url":"https:\/\/hachyderm.io\/@dalias","portablecontacts_net":{"preferredUsername":"dalias","displayName":"Rich Felker","note":"C librarian, purveyor of the language's eldritch horrors. Poppin' shells \ud83e\uddaa"}},"content":"RT @dalias My sort of back of the envelope figure is that one borrowing of an ebook costs the library system on the order of ten times as much as one borrowing of the physical book.A common contract for an ebook via Libby is a two-year rental that allows 26 circs, for\u2014depending\u2014something like a hundred bucks. That\u2019s a few dollars per circ. Hardback books cost about a third that much and circulate many more times. Probably tens of cents per circ or better.","generator":{"id":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-30:notice-source:ActivityPub","objectType":"application","status_net":{"source_code":"ActivityPub"}},"id":"https:\/\/hachyderm.io\/users\/dalias\/statuses\/116910529058616092\/activity","object":{"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909869298397635","objectType":"note","content":"
Public library ebooks are basically a thing of the past. <\/p>
Libby is bleeding the libraries to death, sucking tax money straight to private equity. (KKR owns it).<\/p>
For that cost, you get very little, beyond hockey-playing-vampire romance novels and other dumb bestsellers. <\/p>
If your experience with Libby is still good:<\/p>
1) You live in one of the few remaining cities in the US with a well-funded library<\/p>
2) It won\u2019t last. Libby is a parasite that\u2019s indifferent to its host\u2019s long-term survival \ud83e\uddf5<\/p>","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909869298397635","status_net":{"notice_id":null}},"to":[{"objectType":"http:\/\/activitystrea.ms\/schema\/1.0\/collection","id":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/collection\/public"}],"status_net":{"conversation":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-13:objectType=thread:nonce=2b39322e1c87505f","notice_info":{"local_id":"12883589","source":"ActivityPub","repeat_of":"12883587"}},"published":"2026-07-13T03:25:30+00:00","provider":{"objectType":"service","displayName":"GNU social JP","url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/"},"title":"dalias repeated a notice by CoolerPseudonym","verb":"share","url":"https:\/\/hachyderm.io\/users\/dalias\/statuses\/116910529058616092\/activity"},{"actor":{"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym","displayName":"dB Cooper","status_net":{"avatarLinks":[{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-original-tmp20260320220227.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":400,"height":400},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-96-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":96,"height":96},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-48-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":48,"height":48},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-24-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":24,"height":24}],"profile_info":{"local_id":"152194"}},"image":{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-96-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":96,"height":96},"objectType":"person","summary":"\u201cAnd so goes he forth: a clamless shell, as it were\u2014a man of straw\u2014a house untenanted\u2014a futile, motile void." \u2013 George HerrimanGen X Jewish Midwesterner in exurban Nashville, TN, USPhD in philosophyUtopian sewer socialistSoccer, cooking, the ruthless criticism of everything existing, and cats","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym","portablecontacts_net":{"preferredUsername":"CoolerPseudonym","displayName":"dB Cooper","note":"\u201cAnd so goes he forth: a clamless shell, as it were\u2014a man of straw\u2014a house untenanted\u2014a futile, motile void." \u2013 George HerrimanGen X Jewish Midwesterner in exurban Nashville, TN, USPhD in philosophyUtopian sewer socialistSoccer, cooking, the ruthless criticism of everything existing, and cats"}},"content":"
My sort of back of the envelope figure is that one borrowing of an ebook costs the library system on the order of ten times as much as one borrowing of the physical book.<\/p>
A common contract for an ebook via Libby is a two-year rental that allows 26 circs, for\u2014depending\u2014something like a hundred bucks. That\u2019s a few dollars per circ. <\/p>
Hardback books cost about a third that much and circulate many more times. Probably tens of cents per circ or better.<\/p>","generator":{"id":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-30:notice-source:ActivityPub","objectType":"application","status_net":{"source_code":"ActivityPub"}},"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909952955128482","object":{"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909952955128482","objectType":"note","content":"
My sort of back of the envelope figure is that one borrowing of an ebook costs the library system on the order of ten times as much as one borrowing of the physical book.<\/p>
A common contract for an ebook via Libby is a two-year rental that allows 26 circs, for\u2014depending\u2014something like a hundred bucks. That\u2019s a few dollars per circ. <\/p>
Hardback books cost about a third that much and circulate many more times. Probably tens of cents per circ or better.<\/p>","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909952955128482","status_net":{"notice_id":null},"inReplyTo":{"objectType":"note","id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909869298397635","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909869298397635"}},"to":[{"objectType":"http:\/\/activitystrea.ms\/schema\/1.0\/collection","id":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/collection\/public"}],"status_net":{"conversation":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-13:objectType=thread:nonce=2b39322e1c87505f","notice_info":{"local_id":"12883588","source":"ActivityPub"}},"published":"2026-07-13T03:25:29+00:00","provider":{"objectType":"service","displayName":"GNU social JP","url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/"},"verb":"post","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909952955128482"},{"actor":{"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym","displayName":"dB Cooper","status_net":{"avatarLinks":[{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-original-tmp20260320220227.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":400,"height":400},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-96-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":96,"height":96},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-48-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":48,"height":48},{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-24-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":24,"height":24}],"profile_info":{"local_id":"152194"}},"image":{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/avatar\/152194-96-20260321010724.webp","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/webp","width":96,"height":96},"objectType":"person","summary":"\u201cAnd so goes he forth: a clamless shell, as it were\u2014a man of straw\u2014a house untenanted\u2014a futile, motile void." \u2013 George HerrimanGen X Jewish Midwesterner in exurban Nashville, TN, USPhD in philosophyUtopian sewer socialistSoccer, cooking, the ruthless criticism of everything existing, and cats","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym","portablecontacts_net":{"preferredUsername":"CoolerPseudonym","displayName":"dB Cooper","note":"\u201cAnd so goes he forth: a clamless shell, as it were\u2014a man of straw\u2014a house untenanted\u2014a futile, motile void." \u2013 George HerrimanGen X Jewish Midwesterner in exurban Nashville, TN, USPhD in philosophyUtopian sewer socialistSoccer, cooking, the ruthless criticism of everything existing, and cats"}},"content":"
Public library ebooks are basically a thing of the past. <\/p>
Libby is bleeding the libraries to death, sucking tax money straight to private equity. (KKR owns it).<\/p>
For that cost, you get very little, beyond hockey-playing-vampire romance novels and other dumb bestsellers. <\/p>
If your experience with Libby is still good:<\/p>
1) You live in one of the few remaining cities in the US with a well-funded library<\/p>
2) It won\u2019t last. Libby is a parasite that\u2019s indifferent to its host\u2019s long-term survival \ud83e\uddf5<\/p>","generator":{"id":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-30:notice-source:ActivityPub","objectType":"application","status_net":{"source_code":"ActivityPub"}},"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909869298397635","object":{"id":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/users\/CoolerPseudonym\/statuses\/116909869298397635","objectType":"note","content":"
Public library ebooks are basically a thing of the past. <\/p>
Libby is bleeding the libraries to death, sucking tax money straight to private equity. (KKR owns it).<\/p>
For that cost, you get very little, beyond hockey-playing-vampire romance novels and other dumb bestsellers. <\/p>
If your experience with Libby is still good:<\/p>
1) You live in one of the few remaining cities in the US with a well-funded library<\/p>
2) It won\u2019t last. Libby is a parasite that\u2019s indifferent to its host\u2019s long-term survival \ud83e\uddf5<\/p>","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909869298397635","status_net":{"notice_id":null}},"to":[{"objectType":"http:\/\/activitystrea.ms\/schema\/1.0\/collection","id":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/collection\/public"}],"status_net":{"conversation":"tag:gnusocial.jp,2026-07-13:objectType=thread:nonce=2b39322e1c87505f","notice_info":{"local_id":"12883587","source":"ActivityPub"}},"published":"2026-07-13T03:25:15+00:00","provider":{"objectType":"service","displayName":"GNU social JP","url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/"},"verb":"post","url":"https:\/\/wandering.shop\/@CoolerPseudonym\/116909869298397635"}],"links":[{"url":"https:\/\/gnusocial.jp\/conversation\/6545770","rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html"}]}