[Ecommerce] DRM and Library access

[Manon Ress]

Audio Book Issue in the Fairfax County Public Libraries (Fairfax, Virginia)

Saturday, April 23, 2005

The Fairfax County Public Library system is a large library system in
Northern Virginia, a suburb of Washington DC. Leaders of the Fairfax
Public Libraries think it's a good idea to distribute downloadable audio
books to the public in Windows Media format. These digital rights
managed (DRM) files will not play on Macintosh computers, Linux
computers or iPods. Taxpayer funds are being used to purchase these
audio books.

SNIP

Do you know who is getting the shortest end of this stick? The tenants
in affordable housing units in Northern Virginia where Linux computer
labs have been set up for them to use. Many of these tenants are
hardworking immigrant families. Could the adults and children in these
families benefit from greater access to audio books? You tell me.
"Sorry, buster, you're a digital minority. No audio books for you. Here,
let me relieve you of your taxpayer dollars all the same." How about
this for irony -- one of the books currently inaccessible? Martin Luther
King, Jr., On Leadership: Inspiration & Wisdom for Challenging Times, by
Donald T. Phillips. I hear it's a good book.

http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/audiobook.html


--
Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org,
www.cptech.org

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