Are you a published author? Have you ever borrowed a book from a public library or school library? Are you a taxpayer?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, and you reside in Australia*, then you may be interested to know about the Public Lending Right and Educational Lending Right programs which make payments to eligible Australian creators and publishers in recognition that income is lost through the free multiple use of their books in public and educational lending libraries. I understand that payment is only made if 50 or more copies of an eligible book are estimated to be held in the libraries surveyed for either scheme. I am not sure if 50 or more copies of Twelve by Twelve:The International Art Quilt Challenge are circulating in Australian libraries but I have submitted a registration form anyway.
Australian creators and publishers are invited to submit title claims for the 2012-13 Public and Educational Lending Right programs. The closing date to lodge title claims is 31 March 2012. A new title claim can be made for books published after 31 December 2006 and before 31 December 2011. The relevant registration and claim forms can be downloaded from www.arts.gov.au/literature/lending-rights/forms
And don’t forget you can win your very own copy of Masters: Art Quilts Volume 2 by entering into my giveaway. See my Masters Art Quilts Giveaway post for more details.
*Similar schemes operate in relation to public libraries in the United Kingdom (www.plr.uk.com), New Zealand (PLR-NZ) and Canada (www.plr-dpp.ca). I’m not aware of any equivalent in the United States.