Should Writers Be Paid for Their E-books Lent by Libraries?

When libraries lend books to the public, authors and publishers receive remuneration from the Government under the Lending Rights schemes.     1     Is this fair?

This year, the government has distributed almost a $ 22 million under these Public Lending Rights and Educational Lending Rights Schemes. For each book in public library collections creators receive $2.11 and publishers receive $0.52.

The amount that each claimant receives is often not very significant, with the majority of authors receiving between S100-500 annually, Still, a previous study has revealed that this remuneration constitutes the second most important source of income for creators from their creative work.

E-books, however, are not covered by these Lending Rights schemes.     2     But e-book lending is increasing and, according to the Australian Library and Information Association, e-books are likely to reach 20% of library holdings by 2020. Also, most, if not all, self-published titles are done so in digital format only. Such self-published titles, if lent by libraries ,would not qualify for any remuneration.

    3    Although the Book Industry Collaborative Council made such proposal already in a report of 2013 , nothing has happened of yet.

One of the main reasons why e-books are not covered is that e-book lending is quite different from print book lending. In case of print books, authors and publishers are arguably losing on customers and revenues when libraries loan their books for free.Creators only receive $2.11 and publishers receive $0.52 for each book in public library collections.

At present, in the case of e-books, many publishers chose not to sell these books to libraries.     4    

While publishers charge libraries high prices for e-books, writers complain that these amounts do not reach them. Publishing contracts often don't specify whether and how much authors receive for e-books sales or for e-lending.

2 . Reading allows you to de-stress by unplugging and escaping. In one study, reading was found to be as effective as yoga and humor in reducing subjective feelings of stress over a 30-minute period, as well as objective measurements of blood pressure and heart rate.     1     Note that a good old-fashioned book or a dedicated eBook reader is the best way to do this. If you are using a tablet, phone, or computer on which to read, shut down other programs and turn off notifications. Distractions and disruptions interfere with reading’s stress management properties.

In a longitudinal (纵向的) study of individuals aged 64 and over, those who read at least once a week were less likely to experience cognitive decline than those who did not. At the 14-year mark of the study, and regardless of educational level, those who read more enjoyed greater protection. This effect is maintained into readers’ 80’s.

    2     One study found that book readers lived longer than non-book readers and this was thought to be due to the effect that reading has on maintaining cognitive abilities over time. Another study found men aged 70 and older who read daily had lower mortality rates over time than those who did not, when controlling for a number of potentially confounding variables.

Bibliotherapy, or the use of various reading materials for the promotion of psychological health, is a well-known aid to mental health treatment.     3     This can be a powerful strategy and has been used successfully to reduce depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress.

Reading can be an important bedtime ritual for anyone-not just kids.     4     Reading from a tablet or other blue enriched light source, including eBook readers, however, increases alertness and delays sleep onset, decreases melatonin secretion, disrupts sleep physiology and decreases morning alertness.

3 . It is simple enough to say that since books have classes - fiction, biography, poetry - we should separate them and take from each what it is right and what should give us.     1    Most commonly we come to books with blurred and divided minds, asking of fiction that it shall be true, of poetry that it shall be false, of biography that it shall be flattering, of history that it shall enforce our own prejudices. If we could banish all such preconception when we read, that would be an admirable beginning. Do not dictate to your author; try to become him. Be his fellow-worker and accomplice.       2    But if you open your mind as widely as possible, then signs and hints of almost imperceptible(细微的) fineness, from the twist and turn of the first sentences, will bring you into the presence of a human being unlike any other. Steep yourself in this, acquaint yourself with this, and soon you will find that your author is giving you, or attempting to give you, something far more definite. The 32 chapters of a novel - if we consider how to read a novel first - are an attempt to make something as formed and controlled as a building, but words are more impalpable(感触不到的) than bricks.     3    Perhaps the quickest way to understand the elements of what a novelist is doing is not to read, but to write, to make your own experiment with the dangers and difficulties of words. Recall, then, some event that has left a distinct impression on you .    4    A tree shock; an electric light danced; the tone of the talk was comic, but also tragic; a whole vision, an entire conception, seemed contained in that moment.

5 . Japanese and American Comic Book Heroes

To some people, the idea of reading comic books seem childish.     1     Comics are published globally, but Japanese and American versions dominate the market despite fact—or perhaps because—they differ in a number of ways.

    2     American comics are a group effort, beginning with the story-writing team and the artist who produces drawings of initial ideas. When these drafts are finalized, the outlines, dialogue, and color are added. Also, creators of comic superheroes sometimes sell their titles to other creative teams, who keep the superhero “alive”. This is in sharp contrast to manga(日本漫画) creators, who are often individual authors merely responsible for the storylines, dialogue, and artwork. When a manga creator decides to stop, so does the hero.

Another difference is the appearance of the heroes.     3    Also, manga heroes rarely look Japanese and the stories do not typically take place in a Japanese context. However, American comic heroes, despite their masks, are proudly American and are admired for their readiness to defend U.S. cities.

Probably the biggest difference is the readership. Up until the 1950s, American comic books were read by both children and adults, with poplar titles such as Superman selling as many as half a million copies per month. The arrival of TV, however, led to a decline in sales so that now the average reader of an American comic book is a teenage boy with an interest in superheroes.     4     There manga sales are still booming, reaching as high as 7 billion dollars each year largely because readers range from young boys and girls up to middle-aged men and women. Manga for men and boys, like the American comics, tend to be action-oriented, while manga for women and girls tend to be focused on relationships.

6 . The Hardest Novel I’ve Ever Read

For the last three months, I have glared at its fat heavy form on my floor with a vague sense of personal failure. I have opened Ulysses twice, determined to finish it, and managed to get all the way to page 46. I have read so little both times that I have never bothered using a bookmark.

    1     I like the community this book has created, its inherent sense of freedom and celebration of all things rude and true. I like that the style and language allow for readers to choose how they read it — some recommend skipping chapter three, others suggest reading it only after reading ABOUT it but I still get stuck.

Why do I get stuck?     2     On the “Most Difficult Novels” list on the Goodreads website, Joyce takes the top two spots, with Ulysses ranking first and Finnegans Wake following it. I think what is restricting me to page 46 is the language: the big fat burst of Chaucerian English with slang and jaunty dialogue that, while entertaining me, is also leaving me a little lost.

There are a few other “worthy” works of literature I have yet to read, including Infinite Jest and War and Peace.     3     I really want to love Ulysses. I feel deeply frustrated that I can’t finish it, all the while appreciating its uniqueness, weightiness and special “Joyceness.”

The English writer Virginia Woolf thought Ulysses was nonsense as she complained in her diaries about the pressure to finish reading it. By contrast, Vladimir Nabokov, the author who wrote Lolita expressed deep love for it.     4     I have read it similar to a long marriage(something unpleasant, big reward at the end), modern Jazz-fusion (an innovative genre) and boxing match with oneself (wanting to punch yourself in the face), which is how I felt by page 46.

Some people love Ulysses, so where am I getting wrong? My ultimate hope is that the struggle will be worth the effort and I can proceed victorious onto page 800 or so, on my third fourth, eighteenth try. Something tells me I will get there in the end.

7 . Some people actually read to get sleepy. But in general, we do not want to fall asleep while reading a book or studying. Reading books was taught to us as an activity that should be done in our spare time.     1    . We recommend you read a book for at least half an hour a day. Remember, the most important and healthy food that can improve your brain is the book.

Many people, even if they are enthusiastic about reading, start to fall asleep after reading for a while.     2    . However, the books we read in our childhood to put us to sleep created a wrong perception. Ever since we were little, we read books to sleep and we were told stories. An application such as falling asleep by reading a book is among the main reasons for this situation. The question of why we feel sleepy while reading a book is confusing for many people. Let’s consider the answer to this question together.

    3    . If you try to read a book at an hour when you are tired both physically and mentally, you will cause your body to spend more energy. Inevitably, people get sleepy when reading a book at night.

According to experts, the act of reading a book causes the brain and eyes to work hard, causing sleepiness after a while. While following the words on the pages and transforming them into meaningful sentences by interpreting the letters, both the brain and the eyes exert effort.     4    .