Ask HN: What would happen if public libraries only had ebooks?

There is yet another problem -- not everyone has internet access. Libraries provide books to many low income people, including the homeless. This would take books away from some of the people who need them the most for their own education. There are also people who simply enjoy reading from books, and for whom the library is a place of relaxation.

Finally, books are more permanent than e-books, at least today. I can think of dozens of reasons that pervasive internet access might not be sustainable long-term. If even one of them comes to pass, where would we be without a physical source of books?

But to answer your question -- is it workable? Surely, yes, it is.

But... Is it wise? Would it even be popular?

Not a chance.

The other issue is that some people (like ME :D) love real books.

The Library is like a dark, exciting, unexplored jungle of literature that I want to discover. That's not an inconvenience - that is a delight! It is what libraries do best.

E-books are great too obviously - but I can get them online. E-books are easy (as you say) putting them in libraries makes it less easy so there's little point IMO.

Also you talk about limiting E-books by how many "copies" can be taken out. That seems silly IMO because that is the model a library uses due the limitation of physical copies. Why bother with that limitation with E-books. If you cant get it at the library then there are probably 101 other places to download it!

The other major issue you face is what do you "stock" in the library. Only those books with physical copies? and if not what is the criteria for inclusion?

I just dont see how it would work out :P

The problem I have - and this sounds silly as I say it but it's how I think - is why would I go to the library to get an ebook? That brings to mind the question, "Is it possible to drastically reduced physical library presences in favor of a National Library online that features ebooks only?" Interesting question rife wife possibilities, legalities, and fun!

So to answer your question, "No - not today. I don't have an ebook reader and don't plan on buying one at current prices."

Some libraries have systems where you can put a book (or any other media that the library has, which they allow to be checked out) on reserve, and you get notified once it's available. However, that doesn't fix the fact that the concept of "returning" an ebook is not very well-defined, because of the ease of copying/cracking digital media.

Yes, but you would never find a highly sought out book that is available without a waiting list.

With physical books, this is possible since there is so much inconvenience involved in taking them out.

Moreover, in many cases, people don't actually search for books. They just go to the library and take a book that they find by chance.

When you have a situation in which everyone searches for ebooks all the time, it becomes very unlikely that you will find a good ebook that is available without a waiting list.

Physical books are much more expensive to reproduce than an ebook. I don't think that libraries which stock ebooks will find much success in trying to control how many copies of their books are "out there" at any time.

I think that they'd either allow members to simply get a copy of the ebook, or, as mahmud mentioned below, they would only allow access from within the library, and they'd try and regulate the amount of information you accessed.

Ebooks today are not much cheaper than physical books. A library that allows many concurrent copies to be made of highly sought out books would probably need to pay a very high price to the publisher.

Libraries already have exclusive digital content, and they usually require you to sit at an on-premise workstation to work.