LIBRARIES STEALING RIGHTS?

According to the article posted at: http://www.writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/005522_08052009.html, libraries are grabbing rights from unsuspecting writers. Authors, who want to donate a copy of their book to local libraries, are sometimes asked to sign a “gift contract.” Thinking they are signing a donor acknowledgment form, writers are actually signing away the rights to their work.

I grant there is a big difference between my donation of a single copy of a Kyle Shannon mystery and the donation of a collection of rare books. Perhaps the libraries that take rights intend only to affect the second type of donation. However the moment they use the same form for the Kyle Shannon book as for the rare collection, they cross a line.

Let’s take a quick look at what these libraries are communicating through this behavior:

1. Theft and cheating are OK.
The library advocates stealing. They cheat authors out of their rights by disguising a surrender-of-rights document as a donor acknowledgement form. Royalties and the sale of written work is how writers make their income. By stealing rights, libraries are literally taking away a writer’s grocery money.

2. Nothing is more important than money.
One must assume that the reason libraries are stealing rights from authors is for money. Imagine the lucky library that acquires the rights to the next international best seller (a certain youthful wizard comes to mind) through these nefarious methods. They will be sitting on the proverbial gold mine.

3. No one can be trusted.
Libraries are generally run by elected officials and are supported by tax dollars. Is this the handiwork of more crooked politicians or are the librarians themselves at fault? In either case, apparently writers cannot trust anyone, not even the local librarian.

I have several friends who are librarians. One called this practice “scary.” I agree. What are we to think when libraries sponsor writers groups and then steal rights? I grant that writers should be more aware and careful about what they sign. I cannot say the same for the libraries. It is obvious that many of these gift contracts were written by attorneys. The libraries know exactly what they are doing.

We count on libraries to support us, not to appropriate our livelihood.