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

d.j.parkes@staffs.ac.uk

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

d.j.parkes@staffs.ac.uk

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/library

E-books at academic libraries – experiences from the new publishing ecology