As someone who can afford to buy books, what’s my obligation to support authors and publishers?

I love to read, and I have always been a huge fan of libraries. They’re a community treasure, and I’m passionate about equal access information and resources for everyone–not just people who can afford it.

Libraries offer book lending, but they also loan out other media (music, movies, magazines, newspapers, etc.) and they have resources like story time, job search help, community meet ups, and classes on everything from foreign languages to javascript.

I have been using the library to borrow ebooks for more than a decade. Amazon’s kindle didn’t start making ebooks from the library available until 2011. Prior to that I had a Sony Reader, a device I selected mostly because it already was able to load library loans. That said, I have a confession to make: sometimes I feel a little guilty about using library resources. Here’s what I mean.

I do my part to support my local library by donating money to help them provide their amazing programs and services, but sometimes I can’t help but feel like I’m taking advantage of the system. I mean, I could afford to buy all of the books I borrow from the library, but I choose not to. Is that wrong?

And then there’s the issue of pricing and ebooks. If you haven’t heard, there’s been some controversy recently over Macmillan’s decision to restrict libraries’ access to new ebooks. The thing is, the licensing agreements for ebooks are a little wonky. Unlike physical books, which libraries can buy and lend out without restriction, ebooks are subject to limitations on the number of times they can be loaned out, or they require libraries to repurchase them after a certain number of loans. It’s a bit like buying a book but only being allowed to read it 10 times before having to buy it again. Which is wild.

I’m not sure what the right answer is. And I’m not sure if my usage of library resources helps them build the case for more funding? I feel a little conflicted about borrowing that latest bestseller for free, but I also try to give at least the value of the materials I borrow.

Last year I added up the cost of all of the books I borrowed and it was around $500. But I calculated the cost by finding these books on Amazon and adding used copies to my cart. I’m not sure how that cost compares to what my library pays, and I’m not sure how I could find out.

I’ve also been trying to be mindful that I don’t borrow a book and let it expire without reading it. I used to be so bad about this! But since learning more about how libraries are charged for ebooks, I’m managing my loans and holds through the Libby app much more tightly to make sure I’m not wasting library resources.

I supposed the essential question is are libraries for everyone regardless of their financial situation? Or are they for those who don’t have their own means to access these resources?

Sometimes I think that I should buy my own books because I can afford to. But sometimes I think the exact opposite–that people who can afford to buy their own books should instead give to the library. Why buy one copy to sit on a shelf when that same copy could circulate to any number of readers?

For now, I’ll continue to donate to my local library, encourage others to do the same, and keep reading all the books I can get my hands on (even if they are ebooks that my library had to pay top dollar to license). After all, that’s what libraries are for, aren’t they?