The New York Times on the Libraries vs. Publishers E-Book Tug of War:
To keep their overall revenue from taking a hit from lost sales to individuals, publishers need to reintroduce more inconvenience for the borrower or raise the price for the library purchaser. If making the books more costly to libraries seems a perverse idea, consider that the paperback edition of a book provides an artificially costly experience for its buyers too, in terms of waiting time. The delay in the paperback’s availability permits the publisher to separate those book buyers willing to pay a premium to read the book earlier from those only willing to pay less for what is essentially the same thing, but later.
So if you unwrap a new e-reading device this Christmas, don't expect to just borrow endless e-books from your local library. That would be silly! You can, however, browse through a few of my e-books, which are modestly priced.
Merry Christmas!