Universities minister says education department is not responsible for pricing and licensing practices of publishers
Campaigners have accused the universities minister of “washing her hands of responsibility”, after she said the pricing of eBooks during the pandemic was “outside of government control”.
Michelle Donelan was responding to concerns raised in an open letter signed by thousands of UK-based librarians, researchers, lecturers and students that called on the government to investigate the academic publishing industry over its pricing and licensing of eBooks.
The campaigners say eBooks have become increasingly “unaffordable, unsustainable and inaccessible for academic libraries to purchase” at a time when access to online books is crucial with many academics and students working from home as result of Covid restrictions.
Responding to the concerns on 18 March, Donelan said the Department for Education was “not responsible for matters relating to the pricing and licensing practices of independent academic publishing companies or copyright law”.
“However, we have been advised by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that it is aware of the concerns being raised about the terms on which libraries of all kinds can licence and/or buy eBooks from publishers.”
She added that the department had also been advised by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy that “copyright is a private property right, so it is usually up to the right holders to decide whether, or how, their works may be used by third parties”.
“As such, this is a matter that falls outside the government’s control.”
Johanna Anderson, a subject librarian for the University of Gloucestershire’s School of Natural and Social Sciences who is the author of the open letter, said Donelan was “washing her hands of responsibility in a woefully inadequate response”.
“In the four months we waited since raising our concerns with Donelan, her eventual response shows she clearly did not read our open letter nor inform herself of the most pressing issues facing the sector she is supposed to be responsible for,” Anderson told Research Professional News.
“She also clearly seems to be ill-informed of her remit and the powers inherent to her role. This is disappointing as we could not have made it plainer. She fundamentally misunderstands what is being put before her.
“Quite frankly, it is a muddle of a letter which has left the 3800+ signatories to our #eBooksos letter scratching their heads.”
Research Professional News has approached the Department for Education for comment.