Eduardo Santos, KR21 national coordinator for Portugal, published an op-ed on 22 April on SAPO TEK, the tech section of Portugal’s largest internet portal.
A Digital Bittersweet Breakthrough: eLending Arrives in Portugal
Until recently, Portugal was the only EU country where citizens could not borrow eBooks from their libraries. That changed with the recent launch of BiblioLED, a public platform for libraries, whose swift uptake shows a strong demand for eBooks. Even the Portuguese Ministry of Culture was surprised, with over 17,000 library users registering for the service and more than 21,000 eBooks borrowed.
Despite this promising start, the reality behind the scenes tells a troubling story. Unlike physical books, where libraries enjoy a certain curatorial freedom, access to digital collections is constrained by publishers’ willingness to license eBooks. The op-ed paints a bleak picture of the Portuguese publishing industry’s lack of goodwill in enabling digital access to culture and knowledge.
Publishers Boycott: Major Publishing Groups Refuse to License eBooks to Libraries
The Portuguese Publishers and Booksellers Association (APEL) called for a boycott of the BiblioLED platform, and most of Portugal’s largest publishing groups blatantly refused to license their eBooks. Their justification? An unfounded fear that libraries “risk (…) destroying the market value” of the book industry.
“It is unacceptable that we can only make available what publishers accept, when they accept it, and if they accept it,” Eduardo cautions.
The Facts: Library eLending Benefits Publishers and Readers
Eduardo’s op-ed highlights how the publishing industry’s viewpoint presents a flawed and dangerous perspective. Evidence shows that empowering libraries creates benefits across the board:
- A recent UK report shows that libraries can help promote reading by facilitating eLending, which is a prerequisite for a thriving book sector.
- Research from Australia has demonstrated that eLending and the sales of eBooks can be a positive-sum game.
- A report from the German NGO Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, supported by Knowledge Rights 21, emphasisedthe broader societal value of digital access, as eLending can improve accessibility for elderly citizens, people with disabilities, language learners, and rural communities.
The Portuguese book market has experienced growth in recent years, with a 9% increase in 2024 alone, and a total growth of 30% over the past five years. Clearly, the presence of libraries has not stifled this progress.
eBook Access Battle: Who Really Loses When Publishers Fear Libraries?
So why the fear? Eduardo argues the issue isn’t technological or economic: it’s cultural and political.
“When you prevent access to books for commercial reasons, you’re not just protecting profits, you’re limiting the right to read. And that should be the real debate. One wonders: Who’s afraid of libraries?”
The Future of Reading: What’s Next for Digital Access?
The case of eBook lending in Portuguese libraries highlights an ongoing struggle over the role of libraries in the digital age. If market forces entirely dictate eBook collections, publishers risk becoming the new gatekeepers of access – an unacceptable outcome. When publishers refuse to support libraries’ mission of universal access to knowledge, lawmakers must explore alternative solutions. These should enable libraries to acquire and lend eBooks under fair terms, similar to those already in place for physical books. eBook access is not merely a matter of convenience, but one of accessibility, especially for those with limited mobility or who live far from physical libraries.
For more information on eBooks and eLending, see the Knowledge Rights 21 position paper.
25 April 2025
