Libraries on the Front Line: Amazon and the Last of the Big Fish

How the big five paved the way for Amazon’s predation and the enshittification of publishing.

“New York City Public Library front” by melanzane1013 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

There can be no question on this issue: electronic books provide easier access to knowledge and entertainment for people than has ever before been possible. Hundreds, even thousands of books can be carried around on even the most basic e-readers or modern electronic devices, and the ability to borrow these materials from the library only expands that access farther. Someone with a ten-year-old refurbished Nook or Boox device can have just as much enjoyment reading ebooks as someone who can afford a $1500 ipad or dedicated e-ink reading tablet.

But there are some inherent problems with ebooks. Or, rather, problems exist within the world of publishing that exacerbate the challenges faced by libraries that want to provide these collections to their patrons. Problems that bloomed to new heights with Amazon and other tech giants, though hardly end there. The greed of the big publishers has always been a problem for the creatives who actually build our culture, but Amazon’s intentionally predatory practices have led to an increasing wave of devastation in the publishing industry.