The Illinois Library Association (ILA) is seeking witness slip support for fair e-book pricing. HB 5236, also known as the Digital Library Protection Act, establishes fair contract term protections for libraries purchasing digital content.
Right now, publishers charge libraries nearly four times the consumer price for eBooks, and those licenses expire, so libraries don’t own the titles, and they are forced to repurchase the same content year after year. This causes a growing financial burden and requires libraries to raise or reallocate funds from other needs to meet growing patron demand.
HB 5236 gives libraries the ability to negotiate reasonable terms for eContent that protects them and their taxpayers while fairly compensating authors and publishers.
First time submitting a witness slip? Follow the instructions below or view a step-by-step guide here.
How to submit a Witness Slip:
- Go to HB 5236
- Identification: submit your information
- Representation: add the name of your library, “self,” and/or ILA, RAILS, IHLS, AISLE. You can also leave the section blank
- Position: Proponent
- Testimony: Record of Appearance Only
- Agree to Terms of Agreement: Check the box
- Submit: Create Slip
- Forward this request to a friend or colleague
If you have any questions, please contact the ILA office at ila@ila.org