Publishing and Library E-Lending: An Analysis of the Decade Before Covid-19

Abstract

This paper delves into the complex history of e-lending, specifically between the Big Five publishers and public libraries. It is commonly thought that the relationship between publishers and libraries is contentious, with publishers being obvious aggressors who see libraries as their enemy. The reality is not so clear cut. This paper aims to comprehensively document and analyze the history of the publisher-library relationship in the decade before COVID-19—specifically focusing on the individual relationships that formed between libraries and each publisher, the sales and e-lending trends during that time, and the media’s role in painting the publishers collectively as libraries’ rivals—so readers can understand the significance of the March 2020 library closures and the transition to a fully digital library lending world.