The American Library Association is taking to task a major publisher of science fiction books for its recent decision to withhold e-books from public libraries following their initial release.

Tor Books announced in July that its e-books would no longer be available to public libraries for the first four months following publication. The move is part of an experiment by the company to learn how e-book lending affects book sales. Tor is a division of Macmillan that specializes in science fiction and fantasy.

ALA wasn't happy with the decision. In a statement, ALA elected President Loida Garcia-Fedo said she was dismayed to see Tor "bring forward a tired and unproven claim of library lending adversely affecting sales."

"This move undermines our shared commitment to readers and writers—particularly with no advance notice or discussion with libraries," she said.

Garcia-Fedo also noted libraries and publishers are already studying the impact of library lending on book sales through the Panarama Project, a collaborative effort between libraries, booksellers and publishers. Given the project is currently ongoing, Tor's decision "is particularly unexpected and unwelcome," she said.

Garcia-Fedo told the entertainment news site io9 that ALA is planning to take action against Tor this fall through advocacy and possibly a grassroots campaign. For its part, Macmillan told the site its research shows library e-books are having "a direct and adverse impact on retail e-book sales." http://bit.ly/2wqCAdm

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