Thread by @librarianth, “Comparing individual print costs to a digital licence does not represent the [...]

Anthony Sinnott

librarianth

“Comparing individual print costs to a digital licence does not represent the reality of how the different formats are used, nor the additional functionality etextbooks provide."

from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/29/price-gouging-from-covid-student-ebooks-costing-up-to-500-more-than-in-print?CMP=share_btn_tw

Please, at least, make better arguments

(1/?)

'Price gouging from Covid': student ebooks costing up to 500% more than in print

Call for public inquiry as locked-down students unable to access online books, which can be 500% more costly than print versions

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/29/price-gouging-from-covid-student-ebooks-costing-up-to-500-more-than-in-print?CMP=share_btn_tw

Assessing value by comparing different things and trying to work out which positive attributes add and subtract from the total worth is something people do literally every single day. About almost everything

(2/?)

For absolute clarity, here is what I do when I compare individual print prices to the cost of a digital licence

Spoiler: I do NOT immediately become an idiot unable to discern basic info about formats
(3/?)

1. I look at the print price and the digitial price
2. I take into account how restrictive the licence is
3. I consider the good points about an ebook
- Can be used and accessed anywhere
- Has additional functionality

(4/?)

4. Consider the mitigations to good points
- Can be used and accessed anywhere, by one person at a time
- Limitations on additional functionality
5. I consider the other drawbacks about an ebook
- We own nothing
- Can be withdrawn/altered
- Exists on proprietary platform

(5/?)

6. I work out if the price of the digital license is justified by the positives and not severely downgraded by the negatives and check against budget availability
7. I factor in having to explain publisher created failings to academics and students as if they are my own

(6/?)

8. I decide whether to buy or not

I speak only for myself but I am confident I am not alone in this type of consideration. The quote above makes me think that publishers imagine I am scratching my head going "wut an ebook?" which is hardly condusive to professional debate

(7/7)

You can follow @librarianth.

Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: