Library starts to include CC licensed editions of books in collection

The Nebraska Library Commission has begun to include Creative Commons licensed editions of books in its catalog -- so you can check out my novels in the Tor editions, or just nab a copy from the library's site.

About a month ago I was asked the following question: Why don't libraries start cataloging and offering CC-licensed works? Why not, I asked myself. Why doesn't the Commission try this. So, I spoke with others and everyone loved the idea. (At first anyway. We'll come back to that in a moment.) The basic idea was to take electronic versions of these titles, post them on our Web server, catalog them in the OPAC, then offer them up to those that wanted them. Additionally, for some titles the license allowed for physical printing of the works so we sent those files off to the print shop to turn them into spiral-bound books to be added to the physical collection. (A few days later the print shop called back to question our right to print these works. A few pointers back to the CC Web site and the relevant licenses straightened it all out.)

Link

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Jeff

I assume that a book needs to be “legitimately” published by a real publisher before it goes C.C., becaue I can’t see a library bothering with anything less legitimate.
James David

Right on! Now if we can only get libraries to kick the DRM habit…
Halloween Jack

My library catalogs materials that are available on the web in PDF form, as well as e-books that we subscribe to and require an ID and password to access. Not too many things in the medical library field that are CC-licensed, unfortunately…
The Travelin’ Librarian

RE: comment #1
Actually, “legitimate” publication is not a requirement for being added to our collection. (In fact, part of the point of the project is to redefine what is/isn’t considered “legitimate” publishing.) One of the titles we’ve added is Steven Brust’s recent FanFic Firefly Novel. Following the link in the post above will take you to a full description of the project including a list of titles that are currently included.
–Michael Sauers, Technology Innovation Librarian, Nebraska Library Commission
librarygoblin

Some of us library folks are doing as much as we can to get DRM out of libraries and to keep it out.

And Jeff, libraries are all about collecting things, regardless of the “legitimacy” of the publisher. Being container-agnostic, it doesn’t matter who the publisher is, just that it merits being in a library’s collection.
Jeff

“Being container-agnostic, it doesn’t matter who the publisher is, just that it merits being in a library’s collection.”

Who decides that? All collections use criteria. It’s a published book considered a bit more worthy of shelf space than a book that’s been published through a vanity press? And making something available that’s already on the web as a digital book (published our not), is no more a resource than my own PC. How many self-published books are in your library?
Jenica

re: #6, “Who decides that? All collections use criteria.”

Librarians decide that, based on the collection development policy for their library, which will differ from library to library, based on the mission, services, and users of that library. So the question “how many self-published books are in your library” is pretty silly; Whose library? Which collection in that library, governed by which policy?

In my library, as an example, there are probably only a few self-published works in the main research collection since self-publishing will often fail to meet our criterion of “reputable publisher” but sometimes will meet the criterion of “reputable author” or “timeliness of subject matter”. However, there are dozens in our Archives and Special Collections, which are dedicated to local history (a field ripe with wonderful, unique, and authoritative self-published works).

None of which has much to do with the very cool work being done by the NLC. Kudos to them for pushing our boundaries.
psychicpilot

hey jeff,

let me know the next time you’re in nebraska (ha!), i’ll walk you around a collection development policy or two…
jazzmodeus

That’s a fantastic idea. So obvious when someone else does it first. I’ve just asked our library (Emory University) to do the same with Cory’s and Lessig’s CC-licensed books.
Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator

Chadwick, Jeff’s usually more reasonable than this.

Jeff, I’m afraid you’re right: publishers are the primary legitimizing device for books. If you’ll think about it with your reader-mind instead of your author-mind, it’ll make a great deal more sense.
Jeff

Thanks for making it clear that publishers are in fact the primary legitimizing process for books found in libraries. And the rest is just subjective. I can’t wait until all books are on the web, which will make libraries obsolete as anything more than storage houses.
Mim

Seattle Public Libraries has a wonderful zine collection at the Central location. Most of them probably do not come from “legitimate publishers.”
Jenica

re #9: As I said above, *my* library relies on publisher and author authority and timeliness of subject matter as we select materials. My library’s mission is very different, however, from the mission of any other library, and therefore our collections and policies will also be different. Your arguments and concerns about library selection policies will carry more weight if you don’t make overly broad generalizations that ignore what’s been written.
hikeebahikeeba

this is very cool…(but then,so are librarians).
when i lived in SW nebraska the only thing about the state that i loved was ernie chambers,who consistently enlivened tv coverage of state politics.it’s nice to know he’s not the only one enlivening things out there.
librarygoblin

Jeff, you seem to be misunderstanding how libraries select materials for collection, and you’re making broad, mistaken assumptions based on your misunderstanding. Unless you’re willing to stop that, I’m done responding to you, because it’s not worth my time and effort. Just because someone’s wrong on the internet, it doesn’t mean I have to do something about it.

And don’t hold your breath for the “all books on the web, libraries are obsolete” day, because if that day ever comes, it will long after you and I have passed on.
Chadwick

Jeff looks like a troll. It appears that he is unable to get his “sci-fi” books published and is taking out his frustration regarding his unfulfilled dreams on the librarians here. Now he’ll likely reference to some self-published books or eBooks to add to his legitimacy as a writer.

Seems like he is being a dick to the very people who appear to be fighting for the legitimacy of all content formats and containers. Ass-hattery for sure.