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Writer's pictureChristine Anderson

Gangsta Librarians: Bullying the Publishing Industry & Pimping Free Entertainment

Updated: Aug 8, 2020

I keep waiting to get over the stuff Kenneth Whyte wrote, but every time I see it pop up in my social media feeds, my blood pressure rises. According to him, libraries are "cannibalizing" the publishing industry and "pimping free entertainment." I didn't realize I was so gangsta!


In his recent opinion piece -- "Overdue: Throwing the Book at Libraries" -- in the Globe and Mail, Whyte claims the true hurt put on small book sellers and authors does not come from discount sellers like Amazon or Costco. Instead it comes from those sneaky librarians.


Let's look at what Whyte claims:


For starters, he believes librarians "genuinely believe they are doing heaven’s work," all while

"undermining the literary culture" and "giving away another’s product at no charge." Heaven's work? And seriously we are giving away nothing for free! It is a temporary loan at best.



"The average librarian makes US $52,000 a year, or more than eight times the median income of an American author." Please note: this number is for a full librarian position that requires a master's degree, not library staff.


These numbers also do not line up with what the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. BLS.gov lists librarians median salary around $59,000. However, it is still less than authors/writers median income at over $61,000 and their entry level education as a BA with no required experience. (Librarians learn how to find quality information during that degree.)


Whyte continues by saying more money would solve the problem. Not for libraries, but for the publishing field. "Perhaps adults, then, should pay for the right to borrow books for entertainment – something in the range of a Netflix fee..." Does he mean on top of the taxes we already pay to have access to libraries and its services?


He mentions those who can't afford to pay can still borrow for free, but who wants to fill out that paperwork to prove need, just to borrow a book? Why create more red tape to limit access to resources?


According to author Alan Jacobson (alanjacobson.com & click his Writers Toolkit), with some exceptions, "Typically, an author can expect to receive the following royalties:


Hardback edition: 10% of the retail price on the first 5,000 copies; 12.5% for the next 5,000 copies sold, then 15% for all further copies sold.


Paperback: 8% of retail price on the first 150,000 copies sold, then 10% thereafter." (Writers Digest also has lots of great info on royalties)."


So if Whyte's complaint is truly author's deserve more money for their original works, shouldn't that start at the publishing houses who are banking the lions share of the profits? I suppose that would be a conflict of interest with his job as publisher at Sutherland House Books though.


Whyte also doesn't take into consideration the saturation of the writing market and how difficult it can be to get published. Nor extra costs for publicists and/or agents, all of which eats into their profit. It is a competitive industry, much like music or acting.


Ask any book lover: Readers gonna read!


The library isn't slowing my book purchasing, though my husband probably wishes it would. In fact, I've discovered many an author through the library that I later purchased books by. These are not NYT Bestsellers, but ones I happened across on a library shelf. Ones I would not have spent money on to "try out" but once I knew I would like them, I was more than happy to spread the love.


There is so much more I could say about this piece, but I will spare you!


Just know libraries are there for our communities. Librarians are there to help you find the accurate information you want, while also acting as IT help, social work assistance, and hosting events for kids and teens (just to name a few). They don't get paid for all the jobs they do, but -- just like any other job working with the public -- they earn every penny they make!

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