Effective November 1, 2019, the King County Library System (KCLS) will no longer purchase newly released eBooks from Macmillan Publishers, one of five major publishers in the U.S. This decision comes after months of discussion and advocacy to urge Macmillan to reconsider instituting a new library eBook embargo, set to go into effect on November 1. Under Macmillan’s new lending model, public libraries of any size will only be allowed to purchase one copy of a newly released eBook for the first eight weeks after publication.
As a large library system, KCLS maintains a “Holds to Copy” ratio of 5-to-1 to minimize wait times for popular titles. This means that for every five holds on a title, KCLS purchases one copy to ensure a maximum wait time of only three months. If KCLS is limited to one digital copy of each new title, and then has to wait eight weeks before being able to purchase more, patrons could conceivably wait years rather than months for their eBook.
“Digital equity and access to information is at stake,” states KCLS Executive Director Lisa Rosenblum. “KCLS’ central mission is to provide free and equal access to information, and libraries must be able to perform this essential role in the digital realm as well. We do not want other publishers to follow the example of Macmillan and embargo books. To do so profoundly changes the public library.”
For KCLS, a library system with 50 libraries, serving more than one million residents, the new embargo hits King County patrons particularly hard. KCLS has been the top digital-circulating library in the U.S. for the last five years and third worldwide. According to Rakuten OverDrive, KCLS patrons downloaded nearly five million eBooks and audiobooks last year.
To continue to ensure reasonable wait times for newly released electronic titles, KCLS will divert its eBook funds to publishers who are willing to sell to libraries without a purchasing embargo. They will, however, continue to purchase Macmillan titles that are not embargoed, including print materials and older copies of best-selling eBooks.
The American Library Association (ALA) has also denounced Macmillan’s decision, and asks that the public express their concerns to press.inquiries@macmillan.com, or ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office at alawash@alawash.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We are not sending accounts to collections right now.
Books, audio/video materials, magazines $0.10 per item, per day $3.00 maximum per item per loan period Most media equipment $5 per item, per day $50.00 maximum per item per loan period You will be charged a replacement cost for items that are 30 days overdue.
You will not be able to borrow items if you owe more than $25 in late fines or lost fees.
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We have heard feedback from patrons requesting more open hours. Some libraries in Southwest King County had enough staff to change open hours in January.
More hiring is needed to offer additional open hours at more locations. We are actively hiring more staff across the system to support this goal. As staffing levels increase, we expect we will be able to change open hours at almost all locations. We appreciate your patience as we grow our team.
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Yes.
All employees get paid time off for:
- Vacation
- Sick
- One “floating” holiday that employees can choose when to use
- Holidays
We recognize 11 holidays each year. All full-time employees get paid time off for all holidays. Part-time employees get paid holiday time off if the holiday is on a day they work.*
*Unless covered by a union contract.
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Fill out our online application. You'll need to create an account on the Government Jobs website.
- Go to the applicant login page and select "Create an Account."
- Complete all account information fields then click "Create."
- Go to the "Current Job Openings" page and select the job that you want to apply for. Click "Apply."
- Complete all sections of the application. An incomplete application may disqualify you from the application process.
Have you applied for a job at the library before? You can edit your saved application.
Is this your first time applying? You can upload a .pdf, .text, or .doc file. - Fill out the “Education and Work Experience” sections with the relevant details. Do not use "see résumé" as a response on the application. Your résumé does not substitute for incomplete “Education and Work Experience” sections.
- Save or discard your changes at each step by using the buttons at the bottom of the screen.
- Certify and send us your application by clicking "Accept." You will receive an email verifying that we've received your application.
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We have 41 local Friends of the Library groups. New members are always welcome. Interested in joining a local Friends group? Find your next local meeting on our calendar. Or, contact your local library to find out more.
Most of the Friends groups ask that members pay small annual dues, around $5 per year. Members also volunteer time for fundraising projects, community events, and meeting attendance. Find your local group.
