This paper delves into the complex history of e-lending, specifically between the Big Five publishers and public libraries. It is commonly thought that the relationship between publishers and libraries is contentious, with publishers being obvious aggressors who see libraries as their enemy. The reality is not so clear cut. This paper aims to comprehensively document and analyze the history of the publisher-library relationship in the decade before COVID-19—specifically focusing on the individual relationships that formed between libraries and each publisher, the sales and e-lending trends during that time, and the media’s role in painting the publishers collectively as libraries’ rivals—so readers can understand the significance of the March 2020 library closures and the transition to a fully digital library lending world.

本文深入探讨了电子借阅的复杂历史，特别是在五大出版商和公共图书馆之间。人们普遍认为出版商和图书馆之间的关系是有争议的，出版商显然是把图书馆视为敌人的侵略者。现实并没有那么清楚。本文旨在全面记录和分析 COVID-19 之前十年中出版商与图书馆关系的历史——特别关注图书馆与每个出版商之间形成的个体关系、当时的销售和电子借阅趋势，以及媒体在将出版商集体描绘成图书馆竞争对手方面的作用——因此读者可以了解 2020 年 3 月图书馆关闭的重要性以及向全数字图书馆借阅世界的过渡。