Submitted by coffin on
OverDrive recently announced that ebook titles from Penguin Random House will move from a one copy/one user (OC/OU) model to a two-year metered access term model effective October 1st. We have been advocating for all publishers to move from the high priced OC/OU model to a metered access model for many years. Our experiences with other publishers utilizing metered access models either by the number of checkouts (such as Harper Collins) or by time (such as Simon & Schuster) have demonstrated that a metered access model is a much better value. The overall cost per circulation with a metered access model is significantly lower over time than with the OC/OU model. In addition, metered access titles allow for better, more flexible collection development as we can weed the WPLC collection through attrition as titles wane in popularity. In 2018, the WPLC Collection Development Workgroup recommended an 80 copy cap on all OC/OU titles in the shared collection as a result of 2017 data gathered revealing the high cost of Penguin Random House titles.
We are pleased to announce that this model change will reduce prices for Adult, Young Adult, and Children's titles from Penguin Random House.
The new price caps are expected to be as follows:
- Adult titles: Up to $55.00 (OC/OU average $85.00)
- Young Adult titles: Up to $45.00 (OC/OU average $65.00)
- Children’s titles: Up to $35.00 (OC/OU average $55.00)
Any Penguin Random House titles currently in the shared or Advantage collections will remain as OC/OU titles. Any titles purchased October 1st or after will be under the two year metered access model.
We are very hopeful that this shift from the largest trade publisher is a step in the right direction towards better access models for libraries. We are also confident that through building relationships with publishers, sharing information, persistence, and patience, the WPLC has influenced this change.
For a copy of the press release from Penguin Random House, please see this letter.
There are many unanswered questions. We will keep you up-to-date as we receive information. Please share this widely and send any questions or comments to wplc-info@wils.org.