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[00:00.00]A growing number of American libraries are struggling to offer users digital versions of books because they cost a lot more than physical copies.
越来越多的美国图书馆在给用户提供数字版图书方面面临困难，因为数字书籍的成本远远高于实体书籍。
[00:14.30]Public demand for digital materials – including books called e-books as well as audiobooks – has been rising at U.S. libraries since the COVID-19 pandemic.
自新冠疫情以来，公众向美国各图书馆借阅数字材料的需求一直在上升，包括被称为电子书的书籍以及有声读物。
[00:30.07]But libraries have had difficulties meeting demand.
但图书馆在满足需求方面遇到了困难。
[00:34.75]This has forced many librarians to put users on waiting lists to borrow digital materials.
这迫使许多图书馆管理员将用户放在等待借阅数字材料的名单上。
[00:44.27]Associated Press (AP) reporters recently spoke with library officials about the problem.
美联社记者最近就这个问题采访了图书馆职员。
[00:53.95]One library they visited was in the community of West Haven, Connecticut.
他们访问的一个图书馆位于康涅狄格州的西黑文。
[01:00.50]There, library workers noted big cost differences between physical and digital books.
那里的图书馆工作人员注意到实体书和数字书之间存在巨大的成本差异。
[01:09.92]Most libraries are currently not permitted to buy e-books for a set price like individuals who purchase them online.
目前，大多数图书馆不能像个人在线购买电子书那样以固定价格购买电子书。
[01:21.62]This is because libraries offer the books to many people to borrow.
因为图书馆要将书籍提供给多人借阅。
[01:28.25]One example is a work by bestselling writer Robin Cook.
比如畅销作家罗宾·库克的一个作品。
[01:33.70]A physical, hard copy version of Cook's latest book costs the West Haven Library $18 to buy, the AP reports.
据美联社报道，就库克最新书籍的实体精装版而言，西黑文图书馆购买的成本为18美元。
[01:45.72]But the cost of leasing a digital copy of the same book costs the library $55.
但租赁同一本书的数字版却要花费55美元。
[01:55.02]Library officials told the AP lease prices are set by book publishers and generally cannot be re-negotiated.
图书馆职员告诉美联社，租赁价格是由书籍出版商设定的，通常无法对此重新进行谈判。
[02:06.32]Such leasing agreements end after a limited time.
这样的租赁协议有时间限制。
[02:11.12]Usually this means the lease lasts for up to two years or until it has been borrowed a set number of times.
通常这意味着租约最长持续两年，或在达到设定的借阅次数后失效。
[02:20.77]The cost of the leases is putting financial pressure on libraries.
这些租赁成本给图书馆带来了财务压力。
[02:26.82]Officials at West Haven Library told the AP they do not have a large budget.
西黑文图书馆的管理员告诉美联社，他们没有很多的预算。
[02:34.32]But they said they had to spend more than $12,000 over the past three years to lease 276 additional digital books that were not available within a larger library network.
但他们说，过去三年里，图书馆不得不支出超过12000美元，另外租赁了276本在更大的图书馆网络中无法获得的数字书籍。
[02:51.42]The officials said 84 of those books were no longer available.
这些管理员提到，其中的84本书已经不可再借阅。
[02:57.02]And they noted that if the same $12,000 had been spent on paper books, the amount would have paid for about 800 copies.
他们指出，如果同样的12000美元用于购买纸质书籍，本可以买大约800本。
[03:08.55]"Imagine if a playground was built at a school with tax dollars, only to be taken down after two years of use," librarian Colleen Bailie said at a recent public hearing on the issue.
“想象一下，如果用纳税人的钱在学校建了一个游乐场，但仅仅两年后就将它拆除，”图书馆管理员科琳·贝利（Colleen Bailie）最近在一个关于这个问题的公开听证会上如是说。
[03:25.80]Publishers say their agreements with libraries are fair.
出版商表示，他们与图书馆的协议是公平的。
[03:31.12]They say that, while libraries pay a higher lease rate, they can make the books available to many users over time.
他们说，虽然图书馆支付了更高的租赁费率，但他们可以在租期内将书籍提供给许多用户借阅。
[03:42.07]Librarians in several states have been pushing for legislation to reduce high costs and restrictions on digital materials.
几个州的图书馆馆长一直在推动立法，以降低数字材料的高成本并减少限制。
[03:53.40]This year, lawmakers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Hawaii and New Hampshire all proposed bills aimed at lowering costs.
今年，康涅狄格州、马萨诸塞州、伊利诺伊州、夏威夷州和新罕布什尔州的立法者都提出了旨在降低成本的法案。
[04:06.45]But the measures have faced strong opposition from the publishing industry.
但这些措施遭到了出版行业的强烈反对。
[04:13.10]The industry argues the proposals do not effectively respect intellectual property owned by copyright holders and would harm the publishing businesses.
他们认为，这些提案事实上没有尊重版权持有者拥有的知识产权，也会损害出版业务。
[04:26.80]Libraries Online Inc. is a digitally connected library group operating in Connecticut.
Libraries Online Inc.是一个在康涅狄格州运营的数字化联合图书馆组织。
[04:35.17]The organization says it currently spends about $20,000 a month on e-books for its 38 members.
该组织表示，目前每月为其38个成员在电子书上的支出约为20000美元。
[04:45.27]The cost of renewing expired e-books takes about 20 percent of the group's budget, e-book committee chair Rebecca Harlow told the AP.
续订过期电子书的成本约占组织预算的20%，电子书委员会主席丽贝卡·哈洛（Rebecca Harlow）告诉美联社。
[04:58.27]"If we replaced all of the content that has expired this year, the cost would exceed our entire annual budget for e-books," Harlow recently told lawmakers.
哈洛最近对立法者说:“如果我们更新今年到期的所有电子内容，支出成本将超过我们电子书的全年预算。”
[05:12.00]"We have completely lost the ability to build a library collection," she added.
她补充说：“我们已经完全失去了建立图书馆藏书的能力。”
[05:19.50]In Illinois, a legislative proposal would cancel contracts between libraries and publishers that include certain rules.
在伊利诺伊州，一项立法提案将取消图书馆和出版商之间包含某些规则的合同。
[05:30.00]These include restricting a library's right to decide loan periods for licensed electronic material.
这些规则包括限制图书馆决定授权电子材料的借阅期限的权利。
[05:39.62]Massachusetts and Connecticut are considering similar proposals.
马萨诸塞州和康涅狄格州正在考虑类似的提案。
[05:45.65]Last year, groups representing publishers, booksellers and writers formed a group – the Protect the Creative Economy Coalition – to oppose state measures.
去年，代表出版商、书商和作家的团体成立了一个组织——保护创意经济联盟（Protect the Creative Economy Coalition）——来反对州级措施。
[05:59.75]But Julie Holden, assistant library director for the Cranston Public Library in Rhode Island, said she thinks legislative action is needed.
但罗德岛克兰斯顿公共图书馆的助理图书馆主任朱莉·霍尔登（Julie Holden）表示，她认为需要立法行动。
[06:11.62]Otherwise, local librarians will continue to face financial pressure and will need to keep examining long lists of expiring digital leases to decide which ones can be replaced.
否则，当地的图书馆管理员将继续面临财务压力，并需要不断检查长长的数字租赁列表中即将到期的内容，以决定哪些需要更新。
[06:26.92]Holden added, "Taxpayers who fund our public libraries deserve better. Way better."
霍尔登补充说：“资助我们公共图书馆的纳税人应该得到更好的服务，远好于现在的服务。”
[06:35.75]I'm Bryan Lynn.
布莱恩·林恩为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
