Frankfurt debates how libraries pay for ebooks — and who leads publishing

Public libraries cannot keep ebooks on the shelf in the usual way, and Frankfurt just aired the argument about what to do instead.

The Publishing Perspectives Forum at the Frankfurter Buchmesse hosted a panel titled “What’s Next for the Digital Public Library Market?” on 8 October 2026 from 12:30 to 13:30 on the Dialogue Stage. The session explored how licensing, pricing and growing demand affect digital access to books in public libraries, according to Publishing Perspectives.

Publishing Perspectives editor-in-chief Andrew Richard Albanese moderated the discussion. The speakers were Micah May, director of business development at Lyrasis/the Palace Project, Heather McCormack, director of digital content at OCLC CloudLibrary, and Brad Rose, vice president of content strategy at Hoopla Digital. Contributor Talita Facchini wrote the trade publication’s first-hand report on the session.

Much of the debate came down to licences, meaning the contract terms under which a library rents rather than buys a digital file. The panel revisited HarperCollins’ long-running policy of limiting a library ebook licence to 26 loans, after which the library must pay again. That model treats digital copies as if they wear out like print. Libraries say it strains budgets. Publishers say it protects author income and retail sales.

The panellists described very different alternatives. Hoopla Digital uses a pay-per-use model, in which each borrower checkout triggers a charge to the library and there are no queues for readers. The Palace Project offers bundles of loans and a digital ownership model, which allows libraries to own copies outright and lend each copy to one user at a time. One approach maximises instant access. The other mimics print ownership.

Demand is shifting under all of them. McCormack said audio started outselling ebooks for CloudLibrary’s business two years ago. That matters for libraries because audio licences are often priced higher and listening takes place almost entirely on phones.

What makes this stand out is the plumbing. A reader taps “borrow”. Behind that tap sits a chain of fees, loan caps and platform cuts that decides how long a library can afford to keep that title available.

A second session at the fair on 8 October turned from systems to people. Three publishing professionals from the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Philippines discussed networks, mentorship and sponsors for women in publishing. The panel built on a The Hof digital conversation held in August around women in publishing, according to Publishing Perspectives.

The speakers were Cassie Rocks, Eboni Waitere and Andrea Pasion-Flores. Rocks, co-director and brand marketing manager of The Bookseller, served as both moderator and panellist. Waitere is director of HUIA publishers and the first Māori president of the Publishers Association of New Zealand. Pasion-Flores, former executive director of the National Book Development Board of the Philippines, owns and runs Milflores Publishing after buying the company from her mentor.

Rocks said part of the reason The FLIP was created was to encourage women to “leave the ladder down”. The FLIP, which aims to inspire female leadership in publishing, was founded in 2019 by three women who worked for Penguin Random House and was the brainchild of the late Sophie Christopher. Olivia Snaije wrote Publishing Perspectives’ first-hand report on the session.

Frankfurter Buchmesse 2026 ran from 7 to 11 October 2026, with the Publishing Perspectives Forum programme scheduled for 7 to 9 October.