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Digital Books forDigital Libraries
Issues surrounding the collection management of
e-books
Ray Lonsdale&
Chris Armstrong
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Introduction
Structure of workshop
Define an e-book Demonstrate types of e-books Group work
Value and constraints of e-books Management and use issues
Feedback and general discussion
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What is an e-book?
Does it depend on: Its origin How it is distributed
For some, e-booksmean the hardware
Its format How it is read
SemanticsWhen is an e-book a database?
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What is an e-book?
“Any piece of electronic text regardless of size or composition (a digital object), but excluding journal publications, made available electronically or optically for any device (handheld or desk-bound) that includes a screen.”
Armstrong, Edwards & Lonsdale, 2002
But a public library view might include the need for lending – thus physical portability
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Types of e-books
Free e-books Aesop’s Fables from Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.net/browse/IA_A
International Children’s Digital Library http://www.icdlbooks.org/
Shakespeare (MIT) http://the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/
Jane Austin (Online-Literature) http://www.online-literature.com/austen/emma/
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Types of e-books
Academic monographs City of Bits
http://mitpress2.mit.edu/e-books/City_of_Bits/
The Two Cities http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/
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Types of e-books
Reference books Oxford
http://www.oxfordreference.com/
Textbooks Spartacus
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWW.htm
Study Guides NetLibrary
http://www.netlibrary.com/
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Group work
Working in groups, discuss the following issues surrounding the management and use of e-books.
You will have 30 minutes for discussion. Choose a representative who will speak on
behalf of your group in the general discussion session at the end.
We shall lead this general discussion and your representative should take notes and be prepared to respond to each issue as we introduce them.
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E-Books in use
Advantages Disadvantages
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Issues to discuss Management implications for library
Discovering the existence of e-books Selection policy Acquisition Licensing Facilitating access within the library/institution/authority Hardware and/or networking to accommodate e-books Evaluating use Promotion in the institution Archiving Other
Use Teaching and learning/curriculum Reference use Recreational use Need for research into usage
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E-Books in use
Advantages
Space Updating Security Remote access Concurrent access Added value features Portability Integration into VLEs Tailoring texts Other
Disadvantages
Hardware / software Printing and copying Physical use Interface problems Management issues Availability of texts Authentication Information Literacy Technophobia Other
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Issues: Management
Discovering the existence of e-book titles
Bibliographic control – lack of (for both free and commercial e-books)
Need for legal deposit / national bibliography Need for bibliographic map
Publishers’ advertising Library press Discussion/mailing lists Publishers’ catalogues Staff recommendations Other library Web
sites Publisher web sites Conferences/Exhibitions Internet/colleagues Serendipity Subject lists Journals
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Issues: Management
Selection policy
Need for policy / revision of policy Need for set of criteria: appropriateness of
resource for user group(s) as well as quality issues
Comparison of formats (to buy in paper or electronic form)
Training of staff
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Issues: Management
Acquisition
Need for approvals / publisher trials Passwords, etc
Incorporation in library management systems
Cataloguing issues
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Issues: Management
Licensing User groups (in library / in institution / remote /
distance learners / professional users)
Number of concurrent users Part-book access Printing/ e-copying / copying to laptops Charging mechanisms Charging models Consortia / National or regional licences
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Issues: Management
Facilitating access
OPAC (ability to link from Cataloguing)
Web site Lending / use of portable readers / loan of
readers Intellectual Property Management: encryption
of texts may mean that a book may have to remain on the workstation/reader on which it was downloaded
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Issues: Management
Hardware and/or Networking
Intranet / LAN Broadband Workstation positioning
Disenfranchised users
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Issues: Management
Evaluating use
Use of publisher’s statistics – whose responsibility?
Library management systems (adequacy) Qualitative evaluation?
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Issues: Management
Promotion in the institution
Attitudes to using e-books Methods for promotion Information Literacy
Implications for different types of library Role of publishers
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Issues: Management
Archiving
Is there a need? If you never ‘acquire’ but only licence
Role of publisher Does the licence allow archiving Long-term archiving – coping with
hardware/software obsolescence
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Issues: Management
Other
Links with publishers to develop a critical mass
Need for national initiatives Collection Development Policy for e-
resources embracing e-books Special needs / disability access
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Issues: Use
Teaching and learning / Curriculum Reference use Recreational use
Need for research into usage of e-books
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Issues: Use
Teaching and learning / Curriculum
Appropriateness of format for teaching methods used
Working with academic staff Availability of relevant materials (subject,
language) or does availability drive the curriculum
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) Inclusion of commercial / in-house e-books
Licence dictates what you can do
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Issues: Use
Reference use
Search functionality Other functionality Ability to cut-and-paste with citation
available New skills for ILS staff?
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Issues: Use
Recreational use
Range of e-books made available e.g. General fiction
Use of portable readers for loan vs. ‘online bookshelf’
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Issues: Use
Need for research into usage of e-books
In academic, public, school libraries, etc.
Attitudes Usage patterns Impact on learning, teaching and reading
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Digital Books forDigital Libraries
Issues surrounding the collection management of
e-books
http://www.i-a-l.co.uk/