Changing perceptions of a good book price: comparing the net price system of the 1900s to contemporary e-book pricing debates

Zhang, Mei; Eschenfelder, Kristin R.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/89423 Copy

Description

Title

Changing perceptions of a good book price: comparing the net price system of the 1900s to contemporary e-book pricing debates

Author(s)

Zhang, Mei; Eschenfelder, Kristin R.

Issue Date

2016-03-15

Keyword(s)

• Booktrade
• libraries
• the net price system
• cultural commodity
• price

Abstract

This paper explores how the valuation of books as cultural commodities change through examination of two historical periods of book pricing and publisher-vendor-library relations. The paper compares current e-book pricing debates, and recent shifts in attitudes about e-book pricing, with pricing debates and changes in the conceptualization of book prices from the “net book” pricing period of the early 1900s. The paper describes tensions between stakeholders that led to the net price system, reactions to this new arrangement, and its impact on book buying practices. The paper then compares the similarities between the net price system conflict and current tensions in e-book pricing and purchasing practices. Finally, we use the concept of cultural commodity to explain how, in both periods, changes in pricing led to changes in how libraries evaluated books for purchase and conceptualizations of what counted as a good price for a book.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

IConference 2016 Proceedings

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/89423

DOI

https://doi.org/10.9776/16469

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016 is held by the authors. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

Owning Collections