Recent Updates

Why Massachusetts Needs a Commission on eBook Licensing

This week, I had the opportunity to testify before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development in support of two important bills: H.3595 and S.2330. These bills would establish a state special commission to study and recommend solutions to one of the most urgent and persistent challenges facing libraries today: the non-negotiable, restrictive rental agreements imposed by publishers. These eBook rental agreements erode library budgets, limit public access, and ultimately undermine the very mission of libraries.

  • Why Massachusetts Needs a Commission on eBook Licensing

    This week, I had the opportunity to testify before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development in support of two important bills: H.3595 and S.2330. These bills would establish a state special commission to study and recommend solutions to one of the most urgent and persistent challenges facing libraries today: the non-negotiable, restrictive rental agreements imposed by publishers. These eBook rental agreements erode library budgets, limit public access, and ultimately undermine the very mission of libraries.

  • Connecticut House Passes Landmark eBook Bill

    The eBook Study Group celebrates the Connecticut General Assembly’s passage of landmark legislation to curb restrictive eBook licensing practices that directly interfere with libraries’ ability to provide public access. The bill now heads to Governor Ned Lamont’s desk for signature, marking a major step toward fairer digital content terms that support the library mission.

  • Joint Letter on the Dismissal of the Register of Copyrights, the Integrity of the Copyright Office, and the Separation of Powers

    The eBook Study Group has convened a wide-ranging group of copyright stakeholders to send a letter to Representative Bryan Steil, the Chair of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Library, protesting President Trump's dismissal of Shira Perlmutter as Register of Copyrights and Director of the United States Copyright Office, and requesting that he convene the committee to conduct necessary discovery and oversight. The text of the May 13, 2025, letter is provided below.

  • Testimony in Connecticut for the State's eBook Legislation

    The Connecticut Government Administration and Elections Committee heard testimony on HB-06829, the new state ebook bill. Advocates for the bill spoke about the need for state-level legislation to fix the problem of ebook acquisition costs for libraries in their state. 

  • Review the Model State eBook Legislation

    The eBook Study Group's state-level model legislation is uniquely crafted to harness the power of state procurement law to support equitable access to ebooks without running afoul of Congressional prerogatives within Copyright law. 

  • Launching the eBook Study Group

    We are excited to announce the launch of the eBook Study Group, a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization led by a self-assembled, largely volunteer, small group of librarians, attorneys, and library advocates from various non-profit organizations such as Library Futures, EveryLibrary, and ReadersFirst.