An issue has recently been brought to LACA’s attention regarding printed publications that additionally provide access to web-based / electronic content. This occurs in various forms, including:

• books including “once-only” access codes which require the user to then set up a unique username/password in order to access the web-based content;
• books or music scores including a code or download card which enable (often audio) files to be downloaded a single time.

This publishing model, which essentially boils down to “one purchaser, one user”, is incompatible with library lending. A borrower who can only access the printed portion, and not the electronic content, is thus denied access to the entirety of the publication, which in some instances will render the work completely unusable.

LACA has been contacting publishers to alert them to this and invite them to work with us to find a solution.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

(January 2016)