In the absence of a Universities Minister since Michelle Donelan stepped down, Team #ebookSOS has sent an updated letter to the Education Select Committee.

In the two years since the last letter was sent, the situation has only worsened. Budgets across HE have tightened, library budgets often the most vulnerable targets within universities, whilst publishers profits have risen by 14%. Meanwhile, both the Education Select Committee and the Competition and Markets Authority have declined to act.

However, the #ebookSOS campaign has gone from strength to strength, with partnerships forged in Ireland and the United States, and interest from library sectors in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and others. Potential legislation protecting library access to and ownership of ebooks has been explored in the USA and Europe, and more and more staff, students, researchers and members of the public have become aware of the exploitative nature of the ebook market.

You can find the text of the letter below, and we will keep you updated as the response.

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