I had a conversation about books with a friend of mine and we came into the subjects of buying books vs borrowing books from a public library. He said that he likes to support the author and prefers to buy the books he reads.

This made me think. The answer is pretty clear when it comes to buying vs downloading a pirate copy, but in the case with libraries it seems incorrect to say that I’m not supporting the author, but I can’t say why.

What do you think?

  • lilfingerlaughatyou@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Australian author here! We have public lending right payments from libraries, and educational lending right payments from school libraries. For me, this has already totalled about amount exceeding the original advance for my first book. They can keep the money coming in for years after book goes out of print.

    Libraries support authors, directly and indirectly. Books get bought (sometimes in multiples), promoted, and replaced in libraries. People buy books themselves from authors they got acquainted with in libraries. Some libraries pay us directly for events we run with them. Libraries are absolutely not the same as piracy. Use libraries.