Recently, an acquaintance of mine
expressed shock from seeing me throwing books in a trash bin. “You
should never throw books!” she exclaimed. “But I finished reading
them and I no longer need them,” I said. “You should at least
donate them to charity,” she said.
Today I was walking by Oxfam book shop
in Eastleigh and I remembered the conversation. It is a spacious shop
with wall to wall shelves filled with donated books everywhere an eye
can see. I asked a sales person, whether like public libraries they
also pay anything to the authors. She wasn't sure what I meant. So I
explained that public libraries in UK pay something to the authors
every time someone checks out the book and I am curious about how
charity shops compensate the authors. Is it the same or different?
She thought that it was an interesting question, became curious about
it herself, and asked the manager of the shop.
The manager explained to her and me:
“Yes, libraries do pay authors – it is called public lending
rights. For these books authors are paid one time, when books are
bought new.” I asked: “So if I buy a book here, author gets
nothing?” She frowned and explained again that an author does get
paid once, when the book is bought new before it is donated. I said: “If I buy an
electronic copy of a book and share it with people – that is piracy
and is illegal. People donate books here, you sell them. Other people
read, donate. You sell. Authors get nothing. Don't you see it is as
same as piracy on the internet?” She disagreed. I sensed that we
were starting to get into an argument and it was getting
uncomfortable. So I said: “Thanks, I was just curious,” and left.
As I am typing this I noticed on my
table another paperback, which I finished reading this week. I think
that after I post this I will go and throw the book in a trash bin. I
feel uncomfortable doing charity, while at the same time stealing
from another person's pocket.