BRR Issues Raised at Google Book Settlement Panel

Just returning from New York Public Library panel on Google Book Settlement with all the principal negotiators.  Clearly GBS holds tremendous promise, especially in its usefulness for research institutions and rights holders of out of print works.

But some crazy provisions were discussed. For example, all libraries get 1 free terminal — so Podunk, Illinois, and NYC’s flagship library  each get 1 free terminal. Then GOOG and BRR set the price for subscription if a library — such as NYC — needs more. Libraries have to “trust” that the price will be fair– no real market setting price. I’m not saying that the settlement should not be approved, but doesn’t that provision seem a bit crazy? Thoughts?

(PS it will be pretty cool that students will never have to set foot in a library to access pre-2009 books. I remember having to wait for days in college when I wanted to borrow a book from a different library — IF the libraries had an exchange agreement).