The Author-Library Alliance: Supporting Fair eBook Legislation Together 

This is a guest post by Kyle K. Courtney and Juliya Ziskina of the eBook Study Group on ways that authors and libraries can work together in supporting fair access to ebooks through libraries.

In May 2025, Connecticut’s legislature passed landmark legislation to address restrictive ebook licensing practices that limit libraries’ ability to serve the public. As the first of its kind legislation, it aims to ensure ebook licenses align more closely with  libraries’ core public interest mission of lending, access, and preservation. This represents a pivotal step toward safeguarding the role of libraries in the digital age. As more states consider similar measures, a key question arises: Should authors support these efforts? The answer is unequivocally yes— and here’s why.

Libraries and Authors: Natural Allies

Authors write to be read. Libraries help books reach readers. It’s that simple. Contrary to the publisher myth that libraries hurt book sales, they actually amplify an author’s visibility, reputation, and fan base. When a library buys a book, authors get paid just as they would from a bookstore sale. But beyond the sale, libraries give authors something invaluable: exposure.

Readers often discover their favorite writers at the library. A borrowed book can lead to a lifelong fan who later purchases future titles. According to a study published by Library Journal, more than half of patrons surveyed subsequently bought a book by an author they first encountered in the library. Various other studies and anecdotal evidence have even shown that the availability of free copies of a work actually increases rather than replaces sales. The new legislation ensures that authors’ works remain visible, valued, and available to the very readers who will sustain their careers.

Libraries promote books through author talks, community reads, and book club kits—often long after the commercial buzz has faded. Libraries keep books alive. While a title might vanish from retail shelves, it can still be found in library collections decades later.

In short, libraries help authors be read, and authors who are read are remembered, recommended, and rewarded in ways that extend far beyond a single sale. For authors who care about long-term impact, libraries are essential partners. 

The Issue: Exploitative eBook Licensing

Unfortunately, in today’s digital marketplace, library ebook licensing has become rife with restrictions that thwart the library mission and, by extension, limit authors’ reach. Unlike a printed book (which a library owns outright and can lend indefinitely), an ebook is usually licensed under terms dictated by the publisher. Over the past decade, major publishers have imposed harsh terms on library ebooks: libraries must “rent” or “lease” ebooks rather than buy them, and they must re-purchase access repeatedly after certain conditions are met. For example, a common license might permit a library to lend an ebook only 26 times or for 2 years, whichever comes first—after which the library must pay again to continue offering that title. On top of that, publishers typically charge libraries far more than the consumer price. It’s not unusual for a popular novel that sells to the public for $15 to cost a library $60 or more for a limited-time ebook license. Libraries are effectively penalized with a tax for fulfilling their public mission of lending books.

These high prices and expiring licenses drain public budgets and reduce the number of titles libraries can offer. That’s a loss for readers and for authors. When libraries are forced to prioritize bestsellers, many midlist and debut authors are left out entirely. Even popular titles may vanish from digital shelves if libraries can’t justify re-leasing them annually.

And here’s the kicker: these inflated prices rarely translate into higher earnings for authors. In most publishing contracts, pricing and licensing terms are controlled by the publisher. Authors receive royalties based on the contract terms—which are calculated as a percentage of the wholesale price—regardless of what the publisher charges the library. So even when a library pays $60 for an ebook, the author’s cut is still just a percentage of the wholesale price.

Some publishers even bundle ebooks, making individual sales hard to track and royalties even harder to calculate. Other publishers have refused to license to libraries entirely, hoping to drive up direct-to-consumer sales. These practices not only harm public access, but deprive authors of a critical avenue for reaching readers.

The Solution: Smart State Legislation

Connecticut’s new law offers a sensible fix. It prohibits the most exploitative ebook licensing tactics: specifically, contracts that restrict both the duration of a license and the number of checkouts. Under the new law, publishers must choose one limitation or the other, effectively curbing the worst double dip pricing schemes.

This approach restores balance to the system. Libraries can keep books for longer without repeatedly repurchasing them, which frees up resources to lease more titles and reach more readers. And when libraries invest in more titles, more authors benefit.

Importantly, these laws don’t set prices or force publishers to license ebooks. They simply ensure that any offered terms are reasonable and do not exploit taxpayer-funded institutions. That’s why the Connecticut model is gaining momentum, with similar bills introduced in states like Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.

Some authors may worry that increased library lending could hurt sales. But history and data suggest otherwise.

Libraries have never undermined book sales. They enhance them. An author’s royalty is the same whether a book is sold to a library or a consumer. And by making books available to those who can’t afford them otherwise, libraries broaden the author’s audience and cultural footprint.

Despite what the AAP and other rightsholder organizations may say, these new eBook laws aren’t about paying authors less. They’re about reigning in excessive publisher practices. If anything, fairer licensing could lead to more purchases, more circulation, and more royalty opportunities for more authors.

And let’s be clear. Libraries want authors to be paid. Librarians aren’t asking for freebies. The libraries pay millions and millions of dollars for its collections. They are, however, asking for transparency, sustainability, and respect for the public mission.

A National Movement: The Path Forward

Coalitions of librarians, legal experts, and lawmakers are already working together and coordinating efforts through initiatives like the eBook Study Group. Their aspiration is to build a digital marketplace that works for everyone: authors, readers, and libraries alike.

But for these efforts to succeed, authors must speak up.

Authors’ voices carry real weight with legislators and the public. When an author says, “I support fair ebook licensing for libraries,” they help counter industry narratives that falsely portray these laws as anti-author. In reality, they’re anti-exploitation. They ensure authors’ works can be shared, celebrated, and preserved—without being locked behind unbalanced license terms.

The Bottom Line

By supporting these laws, authors can join libraries and readers in shaping a more equitable literary future. Fair ebook licensing isn’t about undermining authors—it’s about amplifying them. The legislation aims to ensure that books remain discoverable, accessible, and preserved for generations to come, while allowing libraries to do what they’ve always done best: connect people with stories and ideas. When authors stand with libraries, they’re helping build a digital ecosystem that truly works for everyone.