If you like a book, buy it. I do. I love physical books. But, my interests are varied enough that I need multiple sources - sometimes I’m only mildly curious. Libby/Overdrive has been a lifesaver in this regard.
I would love to have a digital library of my physical books though, and that’s where this is coming in handy because I don’t want to buy it twice, especially when the ebook almost costs the same as the physical one. It would be nice if there was a “for ${1..5} more, get the digital one too!” - but then there’s DRM to fight with also.
And you are absolutely sure that there is no causal relationship between publishers getting paid and authors getting paid?
Yes, the status quo is ridiculous, with libraries having to limit "copies" of ebooks and even simulating wear and tear of these on one side, and having to deal with DRM buying books on the other.
But according to at least one author that I‘d trust in the matter, publishers also provide valuable services to them, such as taking the financial risk of the first print run (including editing, marketing etc.) and paying authors upfront for it.
That said, I really hope that we‘ll see an "iTunes store for ebooks" (open format, no DRM) sooner rather than later.
I would love to have a digital library of my physical books though, and that’s where this is coming in handy because I don’t want to buy it twice, especially when the ebook almost costs the same as the physical one. It would be nice if there was a “for ${1..5} more, get the digital one too!” - but then there’s DRM to fight with also.