CONTROVERSY OVER LIBRARY BOOKS AT CONVENIENCE STORES|北市超商可借還書 出版界憂:買書的更少了

The Taipei Public Library has expanded its services nationally by allowing its members to borrow and return books at convenience stores. Although the intention is good, publishers worry that the public will be less willing to purchase books, harming the publishing industry. If you want to read a book, you no longer have to go to a library. People can now borrow books from nearly 10,000 convenience stores around Taiwan. Cooperating with convenience stores, the Taipei Public Library now allows its members to borrow and return books outside the library. By registering and paying a NT$50 delivery fee, the public has access to the library's over 7 million volumes. However, publishers worry that the library's aim to promote the habit of reading may have negative effects on the already recession-stricken publishing market. Yuan-Liou Publishing CEO Wang Jung-wen said the government should take the publishing industry into consideration. The shrinking publishing market has made it difficult for writers to earn revenue because the more a library lends its books, the less a writer earns. Publishing revenues are decreasing as public libraries purchase books at the lowest possible price. ==LU CHIN-CHENG, Dir.Taipei Publishing Association== In countries such as Finland, public libraries adopt the Public Lending Right program. Authors can get an extra income from government subsidies under this program. However, this is not the same in Taiwan. That's why a lot of people are now against the government's new policy. The government did not take publishers and authors into consideration when devising the plan. Some publishing companies approve the government's policy. However, facing falling values, they suggest the government to adopt the Public Lending Right program. Every time a book is lent, the government should either subsidize the book's publisher or its author with a number of fees to help the publishing industry. Meanwhile, the National Central Library curator Tseng Shu-hsien has a different opinion on this issue. ==TSENG SHU-HSIEN, curator National Central Library== When people need to look up information, or search for references, they will go to a library, and enjoy the pleasure of reading. When people want to own a book they will go to a bookstore and buy it. A library's borrowing rate will not have a direct impact on publishers. Publishers should cooperate with convenience stores to increase book sales and promote reading. The issue requires more discussion between publishing companies and public libraries. How to reach a consensus and create a win-win situation is important for both sides. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 台北市立圖書館首創和超商合作，只要民眾上網登記，就可以透過超商來借還書籍，但出版業者憂心，未來民眾的購書意願恐怕更低，對已經不景氣的出版業，造成危機。 想看好書，不用親自到圖書館，直接到超商也能輕鬆借閱。 台北市立圖書館和超商合作，只要民眾上網登記、支付50元物流費用，就可以透過超商，借還館藏的700多萬冊圖書，但沒想到這個為了推廣全民閱讀、立意良善的措施，卻引來出版業者憂心，擔心早已不景氣的出版市場，會更加低迷不振。 遠流出版社董事長王榮文就Po文表示，出版市場萎縮，不足以鼓勵作家原創，在閱讀推廣和產業發展間，要取得平衡，還引述香港作家團體所言，認為「圖書館借出愈多書、作家的收入愈少」。因為按現行公家機關、採用最低標的圖書採購制度來看，出版業的利潤，不斷被壓縮。 ==台北市出版商業同業公會 理事長 盧欽政== （舉例)芬蘭啊 什麼東西 你這個圖書館借閱的問題 他們都是所謂的(公共)借閱權 對作者來講 對他來講 他有另外一筆收入(政府補助) 對他們來講 應該不至於 像現在目前狀況 大家會反彈 這就是說 他(政府)當初 出發點可能沒有考慮這麼多的立場 雖然也有業者肯定政府美意，但面對產值逐年下滑，出版業建議政府採用國外「公共借閱權」方式，每借一本書，就補助一筆費用給出版業或作者，來幫助產業。但國家圖書館館長，也有不同聲音。 ==國家圖書館 館長 曾淑賢== 他可能需要查一些資料的時候 需要用到圖書館 或者是他大量參考資料的時候 需要用到圖書館 享受那個閱讀的樂趣 他希望擁有書的時候 他會去書店買書 圖書館的借閱率 並不會直接去影響到出版社 他們圖書的銷售 怎麼樣推廣閱讀上面 （考量)相互合作 針對「超商借還書」議題，出版業和圖書館有不同見解，未來該如何凝聚共識，創造閱讀「雙贏」，相關單位的整合，格外重要。 記者 曹晏郡 吳其昌 台北報導