Why Isn't the eBook I want available for checkout?

We would love to be able to offer all the popular titles in eBook format however, the policies of some publishers make this impossible. Some publishers refuse to sell their eBooks to libraries. Others restrict the number of checkouts we can make or charge us grossly inflated prices in comparison to a regular customer.

Despite these issues, we hope that you are exploring and enjoying eMediaLibrary, ebooks, and e-audiobooks. We want to hear from you about ebook and downloadable audiobook titles that you would like to see added. Please send suggestions to questions@cslibrary.org.

Below is a chart of publishers, their popular authors and the restrictions that affect libraries.

eBook Publishers Chart

Publisher Name Do they sell their eBooks to Libraries? Restrictions Examples of authors/series they publish
Hachette Book Group No n/a Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson, David Baldacci, Michael Connelly, Karen Kingsbury, Anita Shreve
HarperCollins Publishers Yes Only allow 26 check outs per copy Michael Crichton, Daniel Silva, Meg Cabot, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Elizabeth Lowell, Kim Harrison
Macmillan No n/a Iris Johansen, Emily Giffin, Kristen Hannah, Lisa Scottoline, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Terry Goodkind
Penguin Group No n/a Lisa Gardner, Tom Clancy, Kathryn Stockett, Clive Cussler, Nora Roberts
Random House, Inc. Yes New inflated prices and new books cost six times the amount they charge to consumers Dean Koontz, Janet Evanovich, John Grisham, Stieg Larsson, Danielle Steel, Lee Child
Scholastic No n/a Hunger Games series, Captain Underpants series, 39 Clues series, Goosebumps series
Simon & Schuster No n/a Jodi Picoult, Mary Higgins Clark, Sandra Brown, Jeffery Deaver, Vince Flynn, Stephen King