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Digital collections of full-text e-books are proliferating on the Web and provide a wealth of open content for students. To examine whether academic libraries are providing a digital gateway to these resources, ten e-book titles from open digital collections were searched in the online catalogs and Web pages of ten academic libraries serving distance learners. Only three of the digital collection e-books were available from any of the library catalogs, and none were found on library Web pages. Availability of the ten e-book titles through Google and other digital discovery tools also had a fixed results. Continued projects for improved delivery of open online content are necessary. In order to fulfill their role as digital gateways for their academic communities, libraries must pursue metadata standards to support cross-searching, collaborative projects, and development of e-resource search software, which integrates with the library catalog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arrival of e-books on the scene has had a significant effect on the collection development activities of many academic libraries. Whilst some libraries have made the radical decision to ditch print books in favor of e-books, others are cautiously navigating the new terrain by acquiring both. The current study used the survey research design to study the collection development trends of print books and e-books in academic libraries in Malawi. The study found that academic libraries in Malawi are acquiring both print books and e-books. The trend has resulted from collection development decisions, practices, and budgetary constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine whether aggregator packages might be appropriate to replace or supplement print collections in business and nursing, it aims to identify e-book equivalents for print books acquired for an academic library's collections. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides a list of the library's acquisitions in two disciplines checked against e-book aggregators' holdings. The comparison is analyzed and discussed. Findings – The results confirm findings of a previous study showing that less than one-third of print books acquired for this library's nursing and business collections have e-book equivalents available from aggregators, so the aggregators' holdings do not strongly match the library's collecting profile. Research limitations/implications – The present study applies previous research to a different type of collection, and tests previous conclusions. Originality/value – This paper contributes to assessment of the value of e-book collections for academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate the usage pattern of academic hybrid library digital resources by history and international studies postgraduates. Qualitative case study was adopted as the research design of the inquiry. Focus group discussion, observation and interview were employed as data tools. Among the inquiry's outcome, it was disclosed that there were varieties of digital resources in the hybrid library under study. It was also disclosed that the history and international studies postgraduates were aware of the available digital resources. However, it was disclosed that only few participants were utilising the library's e-books and databases due to specific barriers. It was further disclosed that mainstream participants were utilising the resources in their IR. Based on the outcomes obtained, it was recommended among others that the library should organise series of sensitisation for the postgraduates on the need to increase the usage of the digital resources. It was also recommended that the postgraduates should be trained on how to access the digital resources. Finally, it was recommended that complex login procedures to some of the digital resources should be simplified to optimise their usage by the postgraduates and other library users. From previous literature, no inquiry was found that examined the usage pattern of digital resources in an academic hybrid library by history and international studies postgraduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the most suitable acquisition model, or to decide whether or not the model they have already chosen is functioning efficiently and economically, librarians must carry out relevant evaluations of their current or potential acquisition models. In this study, an evaluation of the Cambridge evidence-based acquisition (EBA), was carried out at Hacettepe University Libraries between December 16, 2019, and December 31, 2020. Within the scope of the EBA, the number of e-books opened for access was 35,624, the number of unique books used was 2,462 and the number of the books purchased at the end of the model was 168. In total, the books were used 36,934 times. Ninety-three percent of the books were never used during the EBA model implementation term. While 52 percent of the books opened for access consisted of "books for research," 47 percent of the number of unique books used consisted of "coursebooks." Usage cost per unit was calculated as 0.82 USD, and the average book cost was calculated at 180 USD. Purchasing the books based on their list price was a reason for the high average book cost; nevertheless, one should consider that the entire collection of books was open for access for a year-long period of evaluation. In addition, one should not forget that further usage of e-books from the entire collection would decrease the unit cost of the books in the final purchase. During the implementation term, we observed that the Cambridge EBA Model was a suitable option for Hacettepe University Libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the results of a survey that gathered data on perceptions and use of e-books from undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff at two Maryland research universities in 2019. It follows two previous surveys in 2012 and 2014 by the same team of investigators, with slight changes in personnel, and compares results across time, by user affiliation with the university, and by STEM versus non-STEM disciplines. The study concludes with a discussion of the major findings and their implications for academic libraries and publishers, as well as areas for further inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 1990s, numerous academic libraries adopted the web as a communication tool with users. The literature on academic library websites includes research on both design and navigation. Early studies typically focused on design characteristics, since websites initially merely provided information on the services and collections available in the university's physical library. Beginning in the late 1990s, technological developments coupled with new digitization efforts offered new opportunities for websites with commercial and local databases, electronic journals, e-books, and virtual reference. The availability of new content and services on library websites facilitated research efforts comparing these features among academic library websites. During this period, articles also emerged that considered navigation and usability issues for these pages. The literature on academic library web pages documents efforts by libraries to use web technologies and resources to serve user groups. However, the research also suggests these efforts were hindered by design and navigation issues with academic library web pages. It remains especially important that libraries consider design in the development of their web pages to maximize usage of content. doi:10.1300/J502v01n01_04 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summer 2020 witnessed a large-scale temporary release of content from the publishing community to support UK universities as they moved to online-only delivery, followed by a scramble by those institutions to maintain access to resources. This paper reflects on the experiences of De Montfort University and Imperial College libraries during this period as they supported the move to remote teaching. It focuses on the complexities experienced during this transitional period, and considers how the speed of these changes increased staff workloads, stretched budgets, and compelled acquisitions teams to act without always fully gathering evidence or strategically planning how new practices might work in the longer term. The authors, who sit on various national contract management and acquisitions strategy groups, examine the repercussions of navigating from an unplanned, accelerated digital shift to a more managed, sustainable paradigm, and contemplate how the advent of multimode teaching may impact on the way libraries are resourced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims at measuring patron awareness, readiness, usage, and preference regarding electronic books among students and lecturers at Tallinn Health Care College. The results will help the college design future library collections, promote e-books more effectively to reach as many patrons as possible, and encourage patrons to use more e-books. An online survey was developed and made available via the institution's Study Information System. The questionnaire was sent to 1,696 college patrons (including 1,606 master's degree and higher education students, and 90 academic staff members). Three hundred and forty-six completed questionnaires were returned, and responses were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. The survey indicated that most of the respondents are aware of what an e-book is and have used them at least once. Most of the respondents preferred the college to purchase books in both printed and electronic format. The most popular reasons for preferring e-books were not needing to physically borrow the book, having 24/7 access from home, and the ability to download and read e-books on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet. The main reasons for disliking e-books were having to read on a screen, the costs involved, the limitations when printing pages, and the concern that the battery may become discharged during reading. Open access is also highlighted as an alternative to guarantee the availability of scientific information for patrons because the University of Applied Science libraries in Estonia do not get financial support from the government. Although the college regularly surveys library users' satisfaction with its services, the patrons' attitudes toward e-books has never been studied. The results are valuable to the college. First, the Library Working Group was established by the Estonian Rectors' Conference of Universities of Applied Sciences to change the state funding scheme for acquiring high-quality scientific, scholarly information. Second, there is more emphasis on making open-access e-books more visible on the website, and the addition of new e-books is announced through the college's social-media channels. Third and most important is that the subject Foundation of Research for first-year students will be taught by the college library staff. This gives them the opportunity to encourage and guide students to use e-books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ebooks pose many challenges in library collection development, mostly due to the lack of standards and the many different platforms available. These challenges are faced by both public and academic libraries, but the challenges inherent in collecting popular reading ebooks can be different from the challenges that come with collecting scholarly ebooks. This article describes the purpose and processes behind an academic library, University of Wyoming Libraries, providing popular reading ebooks to its faculty and students, and focuses on the experience of being a 3M Cloud Library early adopter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ebooks have enthusiastically been adopted by academic libraries, viewed as a golden bullet by library professionals, resulting in efficient resource use, space saving, student satisfaction and accommodating millennial generation study habits. A small-scale online survey undertaken at Northumbria and Durham Universities investigated students' ebook use, examining aspects of learning ebooks support, searching strategies, devices used for ebook access, and reading and use strategies. Ninety-two responses were analysed using a mixed methods approach. Despite many advantages of ebooks including portability, availability, functionality and searching, results, demonstrated sentiment regarding ebooks was not wholly positive. There were frustrations regarding the complexity of ebook provision, publisher's restrictions and the lack of compatibility with reading devices. A key finding related to ebook interrogation which involved greater targeted searching of content and a 'bite-size' approach to reading. Caution must be observed to ensure that library collections facilitate a complexity of learning styles, and provide opportunities for students to better digest content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find out how much the purchasing and lending of individual electronic books really cost. Additionally, this paper investigates which kind of approach would be cheaper and less time-consuming for library staff as well as library patrons – purchase or short-term loan. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted at the Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) Library. This is the only university library in Estonia where the Ebook Central platform is adapted on a large scale. For background information, all statistical data of expenditures and average prices of purchases and short-term loans during April 2013 and December 2018 were calculated and analysed. Through a case study, the time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) method was used – all activities related to acquisition and lending of eBooks were identified, recorded in detail and analysed. More specifically, the study concerned eBooks offered in the Ebook Central platform and covered purchasing and short-term loan processes, such as receipt of order request, communication with the patron (if necessary) making a purchase or short-term loan, and feedback to the patron. Findings: While analysing the results, it appeared there are many additional activities libraries can avoid during the eBook short-term loan process compared to purchasing. As a normality in TalTech library, purchase is always followed by a cataloguing process which increases the time and cost of this process in turn. On the basis of the current study, it can be said that short-term loan is a cheaper way to use eBooks; many activities related to the short-term loan of eBooks take remarkably less staff time and financial resources than eBooks acquisition/purchasing activities. When analysing the literature reviewed as well as collected statistical data, the problem may arise when the decision-maker librarian is not experienced, professional or long-sighted enough to understand the future behaviour of the patron or the usage of the specific eBook. When the usage reaches a certain point, it becomes an indicator of continuing future usage and so it makes sense to purchase the eBook, as the library pays no further charges once an eBook is owned. Originality/value: Most studies reviewed by the author are based on the statistical data collected about expenditure, costs, usage, cost-per-use, etc. of short-term loans and purchases. While acquisitions costs, average cost per acquired item per year and cost per usage are easy to identify, it has been difficult to measure associated costs of acquisition, cataloging and circulation. The TDABC methodology seems to be one of the best tools for understanding cost behaviour and refining a cost system for university libraries. Based on the information known to the author, there is no study carried out using the TDABC methodology for analysing costs of eBook programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a systematic review of E-book user studies from 2001 to 2017. It focused on qualitative and quantitative studies that examined academic user groups' attitudes and interactions with E-books. The review aimed to reveal users' knowledge of the E-book format, their ability to define an E-book, their awareness of E-books' availabilities from the institutions' libraries, as well as their appreciation of E-books' advantages. The authors also considered respondents' usage of E-books such as the devices that fostered E-book access, internet avenues individuals' utilized to locate the materials, printing and downloading of E-books, and the time individuals' spent reading E-books online and the frequency of their access. The literature illustrated the importance of E-books to all members of the academic community for research and coursework. Still, studies pointed to a lack of awareness or familiarity among students, faculty, and staff of their institution's E-books especially with the format's features and the various collections owned by the university. To that end, it is especially critical that librarians promote E-books to all potential users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we will investigate how an academic library, the University of Bergen Library in Norway, handled the challenges following the Covid-19 pandemic when the University of Bergen closed the campus on short notice and the Library immediately had to go fully digital in all its services to academics and students. The academics and students were helped by more and automated access to electronic books and services, and we show the numbers of usage. The e-mail and chat-functions were expanded, with librarians working from home. As for the Library staff, having to start working from home offices with less than ideal infrastructure, the main issues were missing their colleagues. How did the Library return to (almost) normal services? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries are increasingly purchasing electronic books (e-books) via demand driven acquisitions (DDA) programs. However, there is no guarantee about the quality of DDA titles. This is especially true for consortially managed DDA pools or when pools include all titles from selected publishers. This study analyzes data from EBSCO’s GOBI acquisitions platform to assess the quality of the pool and purchased titles from the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (CARL) publisher-based DDA program. Results showed that most available and selected titles were appropriate for academic libraries. Popular and lower level academic titles made up a relatively small portion of the DDA pool but were selected at a proportionally higher rate than other titles. The DDA pool was weighted towards titles that had been previously purchased by few GOBI libraries, but users tended to select titles that had been purchased by more GOBI libraries. Implications of these results are discussed from the point of view of a consortium member library using the DDA program as a supplement to its broader collections of print and e-books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in libraries is common across the globe, and many academic libraries, especially in technologically advanced countries, are using it. The use of RFID increases the efficiency of collection management and security in academic libraries. In Ghana, academic libraries, especially those at major tertiary institutions, are the most vibrant in the library system; they provide access to subscription-based online resources, including research databases and ebook collections, in addition to physical books and journals. The fast-increasing enrolment numbers in Ghanaian tertiary institutions translates into an increased number of academic library users, making it difficult for library staff to manage libraries effectively. The amount of work carried out by librarians in these academic libraries has created a need for implementing technology, for example RFID, that can promote efficiency and effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to examine the contextual factors influencing the implementation of RFID technology in academic libraries in Ghana's tertiary institutions. A qualitative approach was used following a single-case study method, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. We conducted interviews with 18 senior academic librarians, covering six academic libraries comprising three traditional university libraries, two technical university libraries and one college of education library in Ghana. We found that no academic library in Ghana had implemented RFID at the time of this study. Several challenges, including a low budget, lack of skilled personnel, weak coordination between user departments and procurement units, were identified. The study suggested that if these challenges were handled effectively and efficiently, implementing RFID in Ghana's academic libraries could be successful and beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the result of a 2009 survey of student usage of e-books at Royal Roads University (RRU) Library. The authors found that the proportion of students using RRU Library e-books has gone up since a similar 2003 survey, although only just above half of students are using RRU Library e-books. An almost identical number of student respondents (approximately 54%) said “no” to preferring a print version of the book over the e-book version of the book in both the 2003 and 2009 surveys. The majority of students rated the ability to download an e-book to a hand-held device as not important. There has been a notable increase in the use of e-books for course readings from 2003 to 2009. A lack of awareness of RRU Library e-books remains the top reason cited by students for not using them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discussed usage of e-books in two Nigeria universities with a particular emphasis on the circulation routines regarding the usage of eBooks. The questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. A total of 572 sets of questionnaire were distributed among undergraduate and postgraduates students of University of Lagos and Covenant University. This paper showed how the application of e-books could enrich the library services and thereby enhance the academic performance of students in Nigerian institutions of higher learning. Also, it discussed some challenges affecting the effective use of eBooks in academic libraries studied. The paper concluded with some recommendations that could serve as a way forward to those challenges bedeviling the effective performance of the eBook usage in Nigeria Libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As information becomes readily available at an instant, library users today have a high expectation of how quickly books are available for use. Therefore, librarians must evaluate purchasing models and how they meet the needs of today's patrons. A study was done at the University of Mississippi Libraries comparing usage statistics between patron selected and librarian purchased titles. This study included 3,716 titles purchased through the demand-driven acquisitions (DDAs) program and 2,076 librarian purchased titles. Usage statistics showed that user-selected titles were accessed on average.86 times more than subject librarian selected titles; thus, the average cost per title of librarian selected were less than DDA triggered; thus DDA selected titles had a lower cost per use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have tried to identify factors that make electronic books (e-books) in academic libraries more likely to be used. For instance, are demand-driven acquisitions used more than titles in packages? Are e-books in the sciences used more than e-books on art? Most of these studies are limited to one or two variables. This study introduces logistic regression, which can incorporate multiple variables to determine which factors are the most useful in predicting e-book usage. The variables considered in this study are LC class, university press or other publisher and platform. In the collection studied, the classes with the highest odds of being used were A (General Works), followed by F (History of the Americas), H (Social Sciences) and Q (Math and Science). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a scholarly monograph is made available in both print and electronic formats, which format will users prefer? This study analyzed monograph usage data from three university presses in the University of Toronto Libraries' collections, comparing print and ebook usage patterns of identical titles. The goal was to examine format preferences and determine whether there are differences in usage across subject disciplines or publishers. The study showed that although in many cases users preferred one format over another, they used books in both formats. If a subject was popular, usage tended to be high for both formats, and if unpopular, low for both formats. The data also indicated that there were some noticeable differences in ebook usage for particular subjects, and the authors concluded that format does matter and therefore it is desirable for libraries to provide both formats if possible. The study also highlighted how critical metadata are in promoting the use of electronic resources. If there were no ebook metadata within the library catalog, the ebook usage was low. This analysis adds to a growing body of literature in user preferences on book formats that can assist libraries in making better-informed decisions in collection building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of Namibia was established in 1992 and started as a one-campus institution with fewer than 2,500 students to a university with twelve (12) campuses and nine (9) centers and more than 25,000 students. This study examines the profiles of the UNAM Library collections and the historical dynamics that have impacted it. New programs, schools, and campuses were introduced at a rapid pace and the library could only attempt to keep track with all new developments surrounding it. The role of collection assessment, collection development policy, and e-books were investigated within this scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines a study assessing and comparing the rate of use of nonreference print and electronic book collections acquired during the same time period at one academic library. Rate of use was examined for both collections by discipline and method of acquisition. The author found that 74 percent of print titles acquired in 2008–2009 had been used within their first six years in the collection, and that 27 percent of print books acquired between 2008 and 2014 had been used between July 2013 and November 2014. By contrast, only 12 percent of the e-books acquired between 2008 and 2014 were used during the same 17-month period. The author examines how different print and electronic collection development models might affect monograph use in academic libraries within the context of previously published research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ACRL’s “2016 Top Trends in Academic Libraries” noted a “shift to the incorporation and integration of more continuous, ongoing, flexible, and sustainable review of collections,” and “an increasing need” to align collection development with “institutional research and curricular requirements.” This article describes these trends playing out at a top-ranked research library. Given the library’s long history of collecting print books, the article examines the monographic acquisitions program from multiple angles, including circulation, expenditures, approval plans, and e-book usage. There are also suggestions for additional metrics to evaluate collections as a service, as well as questions posed to frame an ongoing research and assessment agenda. The models described in this case study and the proposed research and assessment agenda can be adapted by other academic libraries, both to fit local institutional needs and as collection development and “collections as a service” are increasingly realized within interinstitutional collaborative networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to examine usage trends during the first four years of the implementation of the Springer Book Archives (SBA) at the University of Melbourne. The paper assesses the benefits of the SBA against perceptions at the time of purchase and seeks to evaluate the long-term value of the purchase. Design/methodology/approach -- The methodology included a literature search to identify issues in the adoption of large backlists of ebooks, examination of detailed usage data supplied in COUNTER complaint spreadsheets and tables by Springer, validating findings with librarians and academics and positing next steps. Findings -- Usage of ebooks, like other electronic resources, is difficult to predict. Resources expected to be used, may not be and vice versa. Access to large aggregations of electronic content creates new opportunities for teaching and research, additional economies and benefits, as well as unexpected outcomes. Research limitations/implications -- Detailed data on user profiles were not available and an evaluation of user perceptions was not possible at this time. Originality/value -- The literature review suggests that this is the only published study of institutional usage of the SBA at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shift from physical materials to digital holdings has slowly infiltrated libraries across the globe, and librarians are struggling to make sense of these intangible, and sometimes fleeting, resources. Materials budgets have shifted to accommodate large journal and database subscriptions, single-title article access, and, most recently, e-book holdings. This analysis measures the impact of digital acquisitions in an academic setting during a highly transformative period of library practices. The study finds that both electronicandprint books are valuable to the academic research community at the Graduate School of Education (GSE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of data collected from a simple random sample of 1130 faculty members belonging to 37 Engineering colleges affiliated to JNTU-Anantapur using a questionnaire, reveals that most of the faculty members are using textbooks (97.3%), and Internet (85.7%) for their teaching activity. Further, most of the faculty members are using e-journals (80.1%) and Internet (79.0%) for their research activity. Most of the faculty members are satisfied with latest editions of books available (79.8%) and with the multiple copies available for prescribed textbooks in their libraries (75.02%). Most of them (77.3%) are consulting periodicals for their teaching and research work. Most of them (78.1%) are satisfied with the present collection of periodicals. Nearly half of them (51.3%) are consulting indexing and abstracting periodicals to know the latest literature for their teaching and research needs. Most of them (77.2%) replied that the latest issues of periodicals are available in their libraries concerned. Majority of the faculty members replied that current issues of periodicals (68.8%) and the back volumes of periodicals (60.5%) are not issued for home reading. Most of them (81.8%) replied that their libraries are subscribing to e-journals. Majority of them (53.7%) replied that their libraries are not subscribing to e-books. A few recommendations have been made by the researchers on the basis of findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does a smaller, fully online academic library offer a wide and deep collection of academic level e-books to its distance learners in a sustainable and affordable way? The State University of New York (SUNY) Empire State College Online Library, with a staff of four, has used demand-driven e-book acquisitions since September 2013. Despite widespread publisher price increases, this DDA program continues to deliver quality content to users. This presentation will explore the e-book demand-driven acquisition (DDA) model in the context of that implementation. This will include in-depth analysis of usage data and costs, as well as impacts on course development, budget and inter-library loan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes the results of a survey that gathered data on perceptions and use of e-books from undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff. The investigators analyzed the results based on user affiliate status and subject discipline and compared the results with the findings of a similar, smaller-scale study conducted in 2012. The study concludes with a discussion of the major findings and their implications for academic libraries and publishers, as well as areas for further inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource discovery services (RDS), also called web-scale discovery services (WDS), have attracted considerable attention in recent years. This article aims to provide an environmental scan of the adoption of RDS in UK higher education libraries and provide an analysis of RDS resource usage data to gauge whether RDS have an impact on the overall usage of ejournals and ebooks. Findings show that there appears to be a positive impact in most cases, although the extent of this impact varies across libraries and publishers. There is undeniably a degree of complexity in the usage analysis owing to the multidimensional nature of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) programs have become a well-established approach toward integrating user involvement in the process of building academic library collections. However, these programs are in a constant state of evolution. A recent iteration in this evolution of ebook availability is the advent of large ebook collections whose contents libraries can lease, but not own only if they choose to do so. This study includes an investigation of patron usage and librarian ebook selection by comparing call number data generated by usage of three entities: (1) an ebrary PDA; (2) Academic Complete, which is a leased collection of e-books; and (3) subject librarian selections based on the YPB approval plan at Iowa State University. The context is provided through a description of the development and evolution of demand driven acquisitions programs with an analysis of where libraries have been and where they are going with enhancing the collection development in academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collection managers should analyze and control the quality of digital collections by active weeding of e-books. Certain print weeding strategies apply to digital material even though digital material does not take up physical space. One such strategy is the removal of outdated content, especially in the subjects of health and technology, in order to maintain updated and accurate collections. However, the e-book format presents some additional and different quality control challenges. In this article, the authors describe an e-book weeding project at the Louisiana State University Libraries that addresses and demonstrates these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

: Building on the theoretical proposals of Kevin Guthrie and others concerning the transition from print books to e-books in academic and health sciences libraries, this paper presents data collected using the MINES for Libraries® e-resource survey methodology. Approximately 6,000 e-book uses were analyzed from a sample of e-resource usage at thirteen academic and health sciences research libraries between July 2009 and June 2013. The authors report on findings about e-book usage and propose explanations regarding how the adoption path from print books to e-books differs from the growth in use of e-journals and the associated decline in print journals usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses and compares the quality of sources found by undergraduate students when doing research using both Google and a library (federated) search tool. Thirty undergraduates were asked to find four sources (one book, two articles, and one additional source of their choosing) related to a selected research topic. Students used both Google and a federated search (resource discovery) tool to find material they believed to be relevant. Each source was evaluated for topic relevance, authority, appropriateness, and date, and assigned a total quality score. Results showed that the books found via Google were slightly higher quality than those uncovered via the federated search tool. The articles and additional sources students found via the federated search tool were slightly to moderately higher quality, respectively, than those discovered via Google. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A growing number of academic libraries and consortia are developing their own e-resource knowledge bases. The structure, format, and ultimate goals of their projects vary. If they are successful, these community-driven knowledge bases have the potential to make a positive impact on e-resource management and discovery. A situation analysis of the current state of affairs considers the problems these new communities of knowledge are attempting to solve, compares the scope and approaches of selected projects, suggests opportunities for connectivity across communities, and outlines challenges to their success. This article is the outgrowth of a 2013 North Carolina Serials Conference discussion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

While e-journals have successfully been integrated into academic library collections, the same cannot be said about e-books. In this paper, the obstacles to e-book adoption in academic libraries in general is discussed using a review of the English-language literature published over the period 2007 to 2013. Issues identified are the changing roles of libraries in the digital age; collection development strategies; complex e-book purchase models offered to libraries; questions of copyright, licensing and digital rights management; format considerations; and availability of hardware and software on which to read e-books. Libraries continue to face these challenges today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing availability and prominence of e-books has led to a perception in some quarters that the requirement for physical books is decreasing, as most, or all scholarly material is openly available in digital form. Some academic administrators and librarians have suggested that it may be possible or desirable to have a solely, or predominantly electronic academic library. This study tests that assumption by randomly selecting a sample of titles from a mid-size Australian academic library and searching for suitable electronic copies. The conclusion of the paper is that a maximum of 33% of titles held by the case study library are available as e-books, and on a practical basis about 26% of titles held by the case study library could be readily obtained as e-books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports research into the perceptions and predictions of academic librarians regarding the future role and development of e-books, and e-book collections and services. A number of recent studies reported in the literature review indicate increasing interest in e-books. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 academic librarians, in seven case study libraries. Most interviewees anticipated a significant growth in the size and role of e-book collections in academic libraries over the next five years. The actions and policies of each of the key stakeholder groups, e-book vendors (publishers and aggregators), academic libraries and users are viewed as pivotal to the future use of e-books in universities. The growing importance of e-books will have a number of consequences for academic libraries, in terms of the technologies that they make available to users, the use of library space, user education and staff workload. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Individual ownership of handheld e-readers is increasing exponentially. Limited budgets, accessibility issues, and the failure of many e-readers to meet academic needs prevent academic libraries from adopting them at faster rates. Librarians spend a considerable amount of time gathering information about e-readers prior to making an investment. This article provides a history of e-reader availability and selection in the United States, information on the challenges that academic librarians face in e-reader selection, and research results of various studies on e-book/e-reader use by students. The article reflects on the e-reader evaluation and decision-making process and makes recommendations for investment and training. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – E-books are an important and growing type of digital resource. Academic libraries have traditionally had a major role in selecting books and making them available to learners, scholars, and researchers. Therefore the processes and criteria that they apply in the selection and acquisition of e-books may potentially have significant consequences for the future viability of e-books as a product. This paper aims to report on research into the criteria and processes that academic libraries use to choose e-books. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 librarians in seven academic libraries in the UK. Findings – Academic libraries purchase e-books from a portfolio of different vendors. In order to select the books and packages that they acquire they apply a number of criteria, including business models, licence, price, platform, interface, subject coverage, and match to reading lists. High on the list of librarians' concerns are: the variation in and complexity of business models for purchasing, licence variety and digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, and perceived high prices. Originality/value – This study focuses directly and in depth on the buying and selection processes and criteria. Insights offered by this study may be of value to publishers, aggregators and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As academic libraries add electronic monographs (e-books) to their collections in increasing numbers, they are frequently losing the ability to lend this portion of their collections via Interlibrary Loan (ILL) due to licensing restrictions. Recently, new options have emerged as alternatives to traditional ILL for e-books. These options introduce new opportunities for collaboration across library departments and with-in consortia. This article discusses the changing nature of resource sharing as related to e-books, ex-amines e-book lending capabilities as they currently exist, and presents alternative models to traditional ILL, including short-term lending, purchase on demand and print on demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report research into the marketing and promotion of e-books, and use this as a case study context to generate insights into approaches in academic libraries to the marketing of new services. As such it contributes to the limited empirical research on both the introduction of e-book services and on marketing in academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 academic librarians, in seven case study libraries, holding the following posts: subject librarians, e-resources librarians, or cataloguers. Interviews focussed on: the existence of a promotion/marketing strategy for e-books; the marketing and promotion tools used to promote e-books; promotion via academics; the issues and challenges in promoting e-books; and future plans for the promotion of e-books. Findings – None of the libraries had a marketing communication strategy relating to e-books, yet, on the other hand, most interviewees were able to point to a range of tools used to promote e-books, and some had plans for improvements in their promotion activities. Originality/value – This study demonstrates a laissez faire approach to the marketing of potentially significant new services from academic libraries – providing access to e-books. Recommendations for development focus on taking a strategic approach to marketing and promotion, managing tensions between promotion and supply, innovation in promotional tools, and influencing word-of-mouth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Few library studies have investigated recommendation classifications for e-book (electronic book) usage, while none have directly compared what recommendation sources (word-of-mouth, advertising, and expert recommendation) might influence e-book usage intentions. To fill this gap in the literature, the main purposes of this study are to: examine how users perceive the influence of recommendations on the intention to use e-books for academic purposes; and to measure the level of the perception of trust and perceived risk when users receive e-book recommendations from peers, advertisers, and experts. Design/methodology/approach - Data for this study were collected from 382 academic digital library users between the ages of 18 and 25. A multiple regression analysis was then conducted to identify the key causal relationships. Findings - The comparison of three recommendation sources (word-of-mouth, advertising, and expert recommendations) revealed that word-of-mouth (WOM) played a more important role than other recommendations in determining the intention to use e-books in an academic digital library. In addition, enhancing the perceived trust and reducing the risk towards the use of e-books can mediate the relationship between recommendation sources and the behavioural intentions to use e-books. Research limitations/implications - This study assessed self-reported behavioural intention as part of its survey and, as a result, could have introduced unintentional inaccuracies. Practical implications - Librarians should emphasise e-book advantages (e.g. easy searching, easily accessible index) to get positive recommendation if users follow all of the recommendations of the source. They can also create online discussion forums to provide usage intention discussions, which can influence users' perceptions of trust and risk and increase the willingness of potential users to read e-books. Originality/value - Little has been written on the intentions of using e-books. Therefore, this conceptual model is novel. This model is also useful in explaining how recommendations stimulate the intentions of using e-books by enhancing the perceived trust and reducing the perceived risk; these findings may generally be applicable to librarians, current users, and potential users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]