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E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
The e-book experience- Introducing, using & evaluating e-book subscription collections at Staffordshire University
David J. ParkesHead of Learning Support
Staffordshire University Information Services
Staffordshire University
18,000 StudentsP-time: 6,000 or 34 per cent
Stafford campus: 5500Stoke campus: 10,000
More than a third are localStudents from 70+ countries.
40 per cent aged over 21Number of staff: 1,700
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Information Services
Libraries and learning resourcesNetworks and telecommunicationsStudent and staff ITCorporate informationLearning development and e-learning
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Drivers for e-contentOff campus demands for accesspart time, distributed and distance learnersMultiple sitesExpectations -the ‘flawed’ library modelDeclining stock circulation Increased delivery by VLEIncreased overseas delivery
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
E-books is it worth it?The book as the perfect machineIf we build it will they come?The ‘Google’ effectLow use of EIS- (JISC – UBMEF)
Promotion and marketing LicensingCopyrightFinding the product-is the market ready?
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
The e-book models
EmbryonicChanging and Emerging ModelsSuitable application for academic libraries?Purchase entire collections, individual titles,
subscription V purchase, chapters eg McGraw-Hill
Expectations were not high
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Methodology
Focus on 8 different distance, part-time and distributed awards
Get tutor buy in from the start - top level management and practitioner involvement
Learning and teaching Committee-formalLaunch of Off Campus Service-infoDirectMoney!
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
InfoDirect
•Off Campus Service
•Content Management System
•Populated with course resources and guides
•Introduction of key digitised resources
•Provides access to services such as document delivery
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
InfoDirect-services to Off Campus users
The Products
£20,000 (283,540.51 SEK) 1.5% of annual budget
netLibrary- purchase of minimum titles
ebrary- currently 15,000
Safari-100 titles 2 concurrent users
3 completely different models No particularly high expectations But enthusiastic librarians, enthusiastic tutors
and a deadline!
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Launch- October 2002
Marketing -products, postcards, bookmarks, competition
Workshops to staff and studentsInclusion in InfoDirect and VLETargetted awardsCOSE, BlackboardLink to pages, contentProject to allow searching from within VLE
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Usage
Usage figures – since 0ctober 2002
Ebrary - 1000 copy and prints Safari – 500 Average time spent in database 5-15 mins, Browsing activity Usage figures are not refined enough to be
particularly useful at present Full evaluation planned with target group
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Ebrary
Ebrary-first UK customerCoverage- 15,000 books like the curates egg it is good in partsIncludes some eccentric contentBut..provides an instant collectionTechnical support is very goodNew service allows own contentQuestions remain over subscriber support
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Safari
Great content - ideally suited to e-book formatInterface- some concernsContent in bite sized chunksSlow response from customer supportGood user feedback
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Some observations
Longer term view- a library where books can talk to each other
first time ever that we can search across books- a new paradigm for libraries
Books still have a cachet that journals don’t have for undergraduates
Still allows for serendipityChange in teaching styles needed to make
it really work
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Would like to see..
Focus on end userBetter search interfacesBetter content selectionBetter statisticsMultiple format? Hybrid-copies, adaptive, non-linear,
updateableLanguage translation, readback
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
Tack så mycketHej då!
David J. Parkes
Head of Learning SupportStaffordshire University Information Services
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/library
E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology
