"Victoria Heller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Mon, 3 Nov 2003 16:38:39 -0600 (Wrote In Part) Xerox now makes printers that can produce ONE HARDBOUND BOOK - or twenty, or two hundred.
These printers are still expensive, but as competition enters the marketplace, prices will fall. Within a few years, I'll bet several listmembers will have such a printer at home - a real find for budding authors. You'll be able to publish your own books. Almost all typesetting is now done on computers in digital format - easily sent to libraries for distribution - via hard copy or otherwise. REPLY: We certainly can and may print as many copies of our own personally written book as we choose. Even under the Library Fair Use Act, I believe that the Minneapolis Public Libraries would need to pay royalties and fees to a publishing house to legally print any copywrited book. That is also probably true for electronic copies. Do we want to set up a publishing division in the Minneapolis Public Libraries? We would need lawyers to negotiate contracts with publishing houses for electronic copies or printed copies. We would need accountants to monitor use and fees. We would need a maintenance/operating staff to keep the machine(s) functioning and supplied with ink and materials. Do we want to extend a government entity into another currently private market function, printing? I have given purchased books to the library after I finished reading them. The Minneapolis Public Libraries website has a list of books that they would prefer. I have also purchased used books from the Minneapolis and St Paul Library systems at their sales. They can be nickel and dime novels at garage sales. We want the best possible information technology available at our Minneapolis Public Libraries. Resources limit what we can do. Law guides what we may do. Thanks. John O'Neal Shenanigans Watch Northeast Minneapolis - Holland [EMAIL PROTECTED] REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
