Out-of-towners greedily download Kansas City Public Library’s e-books

The Kansas City Public Library buys e-books, and there are wait lists for electronic editions of popular titles, such as Jennifer Egan‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Visit From the Goon Squad, just as there are for printed versions.

Technology has allowed the library to expand its reach — maybe too much. Library officials are trying to figure out the best way to regulate users who live outside the metropolitan area. Their demand for e-books is driving up the library’s costs, but as nonresidents, they’re not supporting the system with their tax dollars. They’re freeloaders.