EBook Service in Public Libraries
EBook Service in Public Libraries by Brittany Nuland
Buczynski, J. A. (2010). Library ebooks: some can't find them, others find them and don't know what they are. Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 15(1), 11-19. doi:10.1080/10875300903517089
This article addresses patron knowledge of library e-books and the information gap that libraries need to fill. Looking at the history of e-books shows the various problems libraries and patrons have encountered, including digital rights management, limited selection of e-books, and high license fees. One current challenge, that of fragmented e-book collections, can be solved by using a federated search engine such as VuFind to search all e-books that a library has access to. This article shows that librarian knowledge of e-book management allows for better explanation of e-book usage to patrons. It also notes how patrons now expect all information to be found online, which benefits the use of e-books. Buczynski comments that the biggest problem left for library e-book collections is providing access to titles that are currently available for the public, but unavailable for libraries.
Duncan, R. (2010). Ebooks and beyond: the challenge for public libraries. Australasian Public Libraries and Information Science, 23(2), 44-55. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=lom_waynesu&id=GALE%7CA231313204&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&authCount=1&selfRedirect=true#
Duncan summarizes the results of an e-book survey given to library patrons. He emphasizes the need to pay attention to the market and patron opinions to stay relevant in the e-book world. Finding out what library patrons want is essential to the effort put into e-books and e-readers at a public library and knowing the level of patron desire to learn more about e-books gives a lot of insight into how libraries can serve their patrons. The article also gives ideas of questions libraries could ask on their own patron survey about e-books.
Martindale, G., Willett, P., & Jones, R. (2015). Use and perceptions of e-books in Derbyshire libraries. Library Review, 64(1/2), 2-20. doi:10.1108/LR-04-2014-0030
This article considers the results of a survey concerning public library e-book usage, looking at qualitative data alongside of quantitative. The three main problems patrons had with using library e-books were incompatibility issues, technical confusion, and lack of selection choices. Surveying patrons using both open and closed-ended questions allows libraries to gain both numerical data and patron opinions, both of which are important for moving forward. The survey results examined in this article determined that e-book lending was a popular service, but patrons would like to see more efficient services. The article also looks at the reasons for borrowing e-books, which were determined to be convenience and time rather than remoteness and accessibility, as was initially thought. This information is useful for statistical data and for the knowledge of what improvements patrons are looking for in e-book lending from public libraries along with the key reasons patrons use e-lending.
Moyer, J. E., & Thiele, J. (2012). E-books and readers in public libraries: literature review and case study. New Library World, 113(5/6), 262-269. doi:10.1108/03074801211226346
Moyer and Thiele look at a Kindle e-lending program started in a public library. The library lends out Kindles preloaded with the current popular titles, adding titles based on the hold lists. They note the importance of the introduction of the Kindle in 2007 as the start to the popularity of e-books, looking at the growth of e-books alongside of e-reader growth. The article discusses how e-books can be a new type of reading including video, audio and other enhancements, which add to the reader’s experience and comprehension. The emergence of e-readers inspires libraries to model trends after the growth of e-books to stay relevant. Looking at the Kindle lending program, the authors note how the library uses Kindle e-books to help with hold lists, along with offering Kindle e-books that are unavailable for library collections. This information shows a different way of offering access to e-books in public libraries that may not be available for download from the library’s collection.
O'Connell, B., & Haven, D. (2013). Ebooks as a collection and a service: developing a public library instruction program to support ebook use. Journal of Library Innovation, 4(1), 53-64. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=lom_waynesu&id=GALE%7CA346926359&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&authCount=1
This article examines a library instruction course to explain e-readers to patrons of a public library. During the class, staff walks the class through downloading the correct app, browsing for e-books in the catalog, and downloading an e-book onto their device. Allowing patrons to get hands-on experience with downloading e-books reiterates the instructions taught. The use of PowerPoint slides to emphasize main points also reiterates the instructions. Providing classes such as this allow libraries to provide a service that supplements their e-book collection. The article points out that the library first tried to allow all e-reader devices into one course, but quickly learned that it was more efficient to teach one device at a time. Regarding this, staff knowledge of a variety of e-readers is useful to help patrons with their own devices. Comments about e-books promoting transliteracy make this article relevant to anyone seeking to complement traditional e-book library collections with an e-reader services.
Sanchez, J. (2015). Forecasting public library e-content costs. Library Technology Reports, 51(8), 8-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/docview/1736774461?pq-origsite=summon
Sanchez looks at the future of e-books, comparing them to the digitization of the music industry and noting the significant aspects to consider. The article looks at what will happen to a library’s materials if the e-book market continues as is. Assuming a scenario where e-books will eventually cost a set price per title per year, Sanchez estimates that after nine years, libraries can expect a 25% aggregate loss in collections due to the high price of e-content compared to physical content. This article points to the importance of fighting for library rights and seeking better relationships with publishers regarding e-books and ownership. If libraries continue as is, either budgets will have to grow or library collections will begin to dramatically shrink, due to the steep price of e-books.
Sendze, M. (2012). The e-book experiment. Public Libraries, 51(1), 34-37. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=73cba30d-70c2-4afc-9fb7-b0cf71e1fa2c%40sessionmgr103&hid=118&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=71938123&db=llf
This article looks at the concept of libraries owning e-books compared to licensing them, something the Douglas County Libraries have sought to do. This library’s example discusses the top problems with library e-book collections and explains how they solved these problems. The description of the software, display, and publishers that DCL worked with to create their e-book collection gives other librarians a starting point for the process of owning library e-books. This article points out the top concerns that are yet to be solved relating to library e-book ownership and the risks to be aware of. Knowing why DCL decided to branch off shows the problems with the current e-lending systems, including lack of interlibrary loan. This example is useful to public libraries as it shows how the library took a risk and changed, all to better serve their patrons and stand up for library rights.
Thomas, J., & Noble, M. (2016). The Douglas county model in western Colorado. Journal of Library Administration, 56(3), 326-334. doi:10.1080/01930826.2016.1146538
This article examines the entire process of one library’s decision to create their own e-book management system, where they owned e-books rather than leased them. Basing their plan on another library’s successful plan, the library began to work with publishers, purchasing e-books for their system. However, after three years of adding e-books to their Adobe Content Server, the library went back to their original e-book agreement with Overdrive due to lack of success. This article shows that even though libraries try to solve issues with publishers and DRM, it might not always work. Some problems that were encountered in this case were incompatibility with the ILS, an increased workload, and challenges with format. Giving detailed description of the errors that this library network ran into allows other libraries the opportunity to change the process to try and be more successful. However, the failure of one library shows other libraries that even if you may fail, sometimes you must take a leap to try and succeed.
Zhou, Q. (2016). Ebook service in Shanghai library. International Journal of Librarianship, 1(1), 66-73. doi:https://doi.org/10.23974/ijol.201.vol1.1.16
Zhou looks at an e-book service for the second largest library in China which allows readers to access a one-stop reading platform. The article looks first at how other countries provide e-books and then at the need for offering e-books due to their popularity. The article shows that libraries need to meet user demand and give the patrons what they desire, which in this case was an e-book platform that works across all devices and across the country. Zhou looks at what the “Window of Shanghai” one-stop e-book platform could mean for internationalism, remarking on how it could strengthen relationships and cooperation between international publishers and libraries, something that public libraries around the world should be encouraging.
Zickuhr, K., Rainie, L., Purcell, K., Madden, M., & Brenner, J. (2012, June). Libraries, patrons, and e-books. In Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/06/22/libraries-patrons-and-e-books/
This report gives an overview of the relationships between libraries, publishers, patrons, and e-books, including information about publisher policies, library collections, and patron usage of e-books. A history of e-books in libraries is given, considering the changes that publishers have made concerning e-book licensing to libraries. The report also looks at different formats that e-books are available in, noting the significance of the addition of the Kindle format in 2011. This article is useful to anyone interested in patron’s uses of e-books, giving detailed data from a large sample of people. It shows the differences in where people hear about books, where they purchase or borrow books, and how they use the library’s resources. It also gives details about how librarians should be trained to help solve problems that patrons encounter related to e-books. A report such as this is important as it gives an overview of the current e-book situation, along with showing how patron’s habits are changing and how libraries can adapt to that change, serving patrons in the best way possible.
