Author’s quid pro quo

Re: “Save access to e-books,” Oct. 22 letter to the editor.

The letter writer complains about Macmillan Publishers giving only one copy of new books to libraries. If she were an author, her attitude would surely shift to support of this policy. Quid pro quo is much in the news these days — it is what happens when employers pay employees who produce goods and services for consumers to buy. Authors produce pages and pages of words, printed by publishers that are sold to consumers. Authors and publishers deserve fair payment for their efforts. Anyone who downloads library books for free is stealing from authors and publishers, period. Thus the word thief comes into play.