The Issues:

• Most major publishers set library pricing as much as 9 times (and sometimes more!) the cost to consumers for ebooks. (Note that libraries often purchase print books at a discount from consumer prices - using taxpayer dollars to the fullest.)
• Most major publishers license ebooks to libraries that expire after one or two years, or a fixed number of checkouts, forcing libraries to repurchase ebooks at the same excessive prices each time, further inflating the actual costs for an individual ebook. 
• Repurchasing ebooks requires constant monitoring and an analysis of the best way to meet patron demand with increasingly expensive short-term licenses. This leads to an additional cost - the cost of staff labor to review expired licenses weekly - diverting time and energy from other important services to library patrons.  
• Some publishers do not allow libraries to purchase licenses to some or all of their digital works.

→ RILA supports proposed legislation that requires reasonable pricing & terms for all licensed digital ebooks and audiobooks that are sold to libraries in Rhode Island.