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Sir Alan Herbert Interview; ** DIGITISED VERSION OF FS081261003 ** ENGLAND: London: Riverside Terrace: INT Sir Alan Herbert - AP Herbert (English humorist, novelist) interview SOF - (How is your campaign for payment for authors from public libraries, for their books getting on?) We are in there pitching - have good support in the House of Commons - didn't do well in the ballot - we are trying to raise a debate during the session - I have been at it for two years and these things don't get done in that time. CS Sir Alan: The British Museum is one of the libraries, they expect anything borrowed under the copyright privileged libraries law - it is very English going back for a hundreds of years - whereby you give a copy of every book to the British Museum and on demand to Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Wales and Trinity College, Dublin: (What is the cost?) 120,000 volumes a year which costs £130,000 - which is quite a lot - they have to pay for the packing and the postage and delivery themselves. (Don't you want these libraries to have these books?) I'm all for it - especially my own Oxford - but why provide by one trade and that the book trade producers I don't know. (What are you doing about it?) You will laugh, I've drafted a bill - present it under the ten minute rule - Sir Nigel Risher has said that he is interested - it is a simple bill - just to repeal that section of the act - I have asked my publishers to refuse to send my next little book but he is a law abiding man and I doubt whether he will - wish they all would as it is really infamous. (What is they sued you for this?) I would be delighted to be taken to court - I would be prepared to defend the case in person. NEG 16mm ITN (Best) 1.50 mins 69 ft TX 8.12.61 / 11.02 pm 25962 / 980NFL / 2 / 61