Summary of "Why is knowledge getting so expensive? | Jeffrey Edmunds | TEDxPSU"
Summary of Why is knowledge getting so expensive? by Jeffrey Edmunds (TEDxPSU)
Jeffrey Edmunds, a longtime librarian at Penn State University, explains the rising cost and restricted access to knowledge—especially ebooks—and advocates for treating knowledge as a public good rather than a private commodity.
Main Ideas and Concepts
Analogy of Theft in Libraries
Edmunds opens with a vivid analogy: a van arrives at a library and removes thousands of books without permission, which seems like theft. This scenario mirrors what happens daily with ebooks in libraries, where digital content is licensed, not owned.
Difference Between Print Books and Ebooks Ownership
- Buying a print book means owning it outright; you can resell or lend it freely.
- Buying an ebook means purchasing a license to access the content, not owning the file.
- This licensing model prevents resale and free distribution, protecting publishers’ profits.
Impact on Libraries
- Penn State’s library catalog contains about 10 million items; over 6 million are digital ebooks.
- Libraries must license ebooks, which can be revoked or removed at any time by publishers.
- This licensing leads to the “van” scenario where large chunks of collections disappear monthly.
Publishers’ Market Power and Practices
- Five major publishers dominate scholarly publishing (an oligopoly).
- They leverage control by:
- Charging higher prices for ebook licenses than print books.
- Increasing ebook prices faster than inflation.
- Imposing non-disclosure agreements preventing libraries from comparing prices.
- Bundling large packages forcing libraries to license unwanted ebooks (similar to forced buying in grocery stores).
Creation of Knowledge is Publicly Funded
- Scholars create research and manuscripts at universities funded by:
- Student tuition
- Taxpayer money
- Publicly funded grants
- Despite this, publishers profit by licensing knowledge back to the universities at high cost.
Economic Unsustainability
- Penn State libraries spent over $13 million on ebooks last year.
- The university faced a $142 million budget deficit recently.
- The current system is economically broken and unfair.
Proposed Solutions and Alternatives
Reconceptualize Knowledge as a Public Good
Treat knowledge like infrastructure (roads, clean air, water), accessible to all.
Bypass Traditional Publishers
- Example: The journal Lingua was abandoned by its editors who created Glossa, an open access journal free to all.
- Open Access (OA) literature is free and without restrictive licenses.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
- Textbooks are increasingly expensive, rising faster than inflation.
- Many students skip buying textbooks or courses due to cost.
- Penn State offers over 1,500 free, adaptable open textbooks that professors can modify to suit their courses.
- This model saves money and increases accessibility.
Expanding Free, Accessible Resources
- Penn State libraries curate over 1.2 million freely available, non-licensed online resources accessible to anyone, even after leaving the university.
- This number is growing as the library continues its efforts.
Broader Implications
- Libraries are fundamental to democracy by ensuring free and equitable access to information.
- Knowledge, especially that which is publicly funded and created, should not be treated as a private commodity controlled by a few publishers.
- Open access and open educational resources offer sustainable, fair alternatives to the current costly and restrictive publishing model.
Key Points Summary
-
Ebook licensing vs ownership:
- Print books = personal property, resellable.
- Ebooks = licensed access, not owned, revocable.
-
Publishers’ control mechanisms:
- Oligopoly of 5 major publishers.
- Higher prices for ebooks than print.
- Price increases outpace inflation.
- Non-disclosure clauses prevent price transparency.
- Bundling forces purchase of unwanted content.
-
Funding of knowledge creation:
- Research funded by tuition, taxpayer money, and grants.
- Universities pay publishers to license back knowledge.
-
Economic consequences:
- Libraries spend millions on ebook licenses.
- Budget deficits strain higher education finances.
-
Alternatives to current system:
- Open Access journals (e.g., Glossa).
- Open Educational Resources (free, adaptable textbooks).
- Free online resources curated by libraries.
-
Vision:
- Treat knowledge as a public good.
- Ensure free, equitable access to information to support democracy.
Speakers and Sources Featured
- Jeffrey Edmunds: Main speaker, librarian at Penn State University.
- Johan Rurick: Belgian linguist and executive editor who led the creation of the open access journal Glossa.
- Publishers mentioned: Elsevier (largest scholarly publisher, profits over $2 billion).
This talk highlights the challenges libraries face in accessing knowledge due to restrictive ebook licensing and calls for a systemic shift toward open access and public ownership of knowledge.
Category
Educational
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