From: Rick Anderson <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2021 03:12:01 +0000 > But he probably sold lots of them? #20 in the Philosophy of Good & Evil category. 😊 --- Rick Anderson University Librarian Harold B. Lee Library Brigham Young University (801) 422-4301 [log in to unmask] *Subject: *Re: The assault on libraries From: Winston Tabb <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2021 23:39:16 +0000 But he probably sold lots of them? Winston On Mar 15, 2021, at 7:25 PM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: "Thatcher, Sanford Gray" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2021 03:38:02 +0000 It might be useful to point out here that the famous philosopher of capitalism, author of The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith, also wrote The Theory of Moral Sentiments in which he stressed the need for society to function well to have not only self-interest operating but also the sentiment of sympathy. It would appear that Jeff Bezos never read the second book. https://www.adamsmith.org/the-theory-of-moral-sentiments <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adamsmith.org%2Fthe-theory-of-moral-sentiments&data=04%7C01%7Cwtabb%40jhu.edu%7Ca88eb173dc17478e04f408d8e809a03d%7C9fa4f438b1e6473b803f86f8aedf0dec%7C0%7C0%7C637514475331564746%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=EoYUXU%2BZC8SBiBuuzf%2BSStJaO%2Fee215ISm2KoK5Xe5U%3D&reserved=0> [image: Image removed by sender.] <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adamsmith.org%2Fthe-theory-of-moral-sentiments&data=04%7C01%7Cwtabb%40jhu.edu%7Ca88eb173dc17478e04f408d8e809a03d%7C9fa4f438b1e6473b803f86f8aedf0dec%7C0%7C0%7C637514475331574703%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Cz4hFEdQsK8PoJWEArMxJJhzxIJcUxNkmnS6sNptfww%3D&reserved=0> The Theory of Moral Sentiments — Adam Smith Institute <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adamsmith.org%2Fthe-theory-of-moral-sentiments&data=04%7C01%7Cwtabb%40jhu.edu%7Ca88eb173dc17478e04f408d8e809a03d%7C9fa4f438b1e6473b803f86f8aedf0dec%7C0%7C0%7C637514475331574703%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Cz4hFEdQsK8PoJWEArMxJJhzxIJcUxNkmnS6sNptfww%3D&reserved=0> The Theory of Moral Sentiments Eamonn Butler's Condensed Wealth of Nations, which includes a section on The Theory of Moral Sentiments, is available to download here. Main themes of the book www.adamsmith.org <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adamsmith.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cwtabb%40jhu.edu%7Ca88eb173dc17478e04f408d8e809a03d%7C9fa4f438b1e6473b803f86f8aedf0dec%7C0%7C0%7C637514475331574703%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=VrTYw%2Bo1LjGqixyRFioRyx45CPG4iaQ3IGqIbeVA0Sk%3D&reserved=0> Sandy Thatcher From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2021 18:55:53 -0700 Joe, I would offer two comments. 1. Making as much money as you can without violating the laws is not the only aim of economic activity (except, I suppose, for Objectivists). There are also social goods and, some of us would argue, obligations towards those social goods. The guiding force of Amazon has been at pains to build himself a public reputation for complete indifference to such a claim. The analogy that comes to mind is that of an automobile industry in the US bound and determined to build as many of the biggest ugliest vehicles they can, because they can make the most money that way. They *could* make smaller, even more attractive vehicles and exceed the required mileage numbers and in so doing improve the chances of having a liveable planet 100 years from now. Is it not appropriate to aver that they should do so? When some of them show an inclination to work with the state of California on greater restraint, should we encourage them? 2. So as we know and the article makes clear, there are other publishers in the marketplace who do seek to work with libraries to sustain the social good of ensuring wider access to the common store of knowledge than individuals can afford. Is it not appropriate to commend their example and express the hope that Amazon might change its ways? Jim O’Donnell ASU On Sun, Mar 14, 2021 at 5:39 PM LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: JJE Esposito <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2021 18:40:24 -0400 Gosh, Jim. I really can't agree with you. The authors signed publishing contracts with Amazon--that's their business. Amazon chooses not to sell to libraries--that's Amazon's business. Many, many publishers (including the highest value ones, which sell market research and technical reports) do not sell things to libraries. That's their prerogative. Direct marketing is not against any law I am aware of. Joe Esposito On Sun, Mar 14, 2021 at 6:22 PM LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2021 15:14:23 -0700 An entirely excellent article in the Washington Post today outlines the distressing challenge to the economy of readership in America being posed by Amazon's stiff-necked refusal to make Amazon-published material (which now includes best sellers) available to public and other libraries on any terms at all, much less reasonable ones. The article is headlined to draw attention to Amazon as the heavy in the story, which it is, but also outlines more broadly the challenge for our traditional notions of libraries (places of free access to citizen-valuable reading material) by the current economy of digital information. The most startling fragment in this to me was the admission of a fairly high profile author who had published a book with Amazon that he was not aware that his book was for that reason unavailable in libraries! This article is indeed "a yikes" for libraries. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/10/amazon-library-ebook-monopoly/ <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Ftechnology%2F2021%2F03%2F10%2Famazon-library-ebook-monopoly%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cwtabb%40jhu.edu%7Ca88eb173dc17478e04f408d8e809a03d%7C9fa4f438b1e6473b803f86f8aedf0dec%7C0%7C0%7C637514475331584658%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=4GVrBB0jv4w0w1t3RRfysu6slkyAR359T2egKNPs9So%3D&reserved=0> Jim O'Donnell Arizona State University