Post on 09-Jun-2015
description
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Seeing the whole elephant in the room: a holistic approach to ebooks
Robin Bergart and Pamela Jacobs
Reinventing Libraries: Reinventing Assessment June 6, 2014
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Who are we?
Robin BergartUser Experience Librarian
Pamela Jacobs Acting Head, Information Resources
@pamelajacobs
Image Copyright © 2007 Jeremiah Blatz
Image Copyright © 2007 Peter H. Wrege
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
“You are not just buying content. You are buying content, software, licenses, DRM
and an ongoing relationship with a vendor” – Sue Polanka (2012)
Why do we need an ebook strategy?
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Ebook Strategy Working Group• Pam Jacobs • Robin Bergart• Linda Da Maren• Linda Day
• Jennifer Easter• Alan Gale• Heather Martin• Judy Wanner
Image Copyright © 2012 Benh Lieu Song
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Project Scope
• Selection and acquisition• Electronic resource management (ERM)• Discovery and user experience (UX)• Preservation• Evaluation
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Goals
• Increase access and usability• Make more informed selection decisions • Create more efficient workflows• Provide feedback to vendors • Ensure digital preservation of ebooks• Improve communication with our users
about ebooks
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Methods
• Current State• External Scan• Critical Issues• Recommendations
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Areas Investigated
• Selection• Budget• Acquisitions• Licensing
• Discovery• Accessibility• User experience• Monitoring & review
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Ebooks available at UG
• Over 400,000 titles• Over 65 platforms• Individual titles to packages via consortia• Purchase and subscriptions• Various business models• Aggregators to publisher direct
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Management of ebooks
• Workflow and records management challenges for large ebook collections
• MARC records from publishers• Inaccurate, poor quality, wrong titles• Results in unacceptable delay in user
access
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Analyzing use
• Metrics are problematic• As collections grow, usage grows• Accurate title counts needed• Access restrictions affect use• Discoverability affects use
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
UX Study Questions• Are our students choosing ebooks for their
academic work? • What are the perceived advantages and
disadvantages of using ebooks?• Are ebooks meeting our students’ needs
and expectations?• What can the library do to improve our
students’ relationship with ebooks?
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Methods
• Recruitment• Pre-study survey• Diaries • Interviews
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
“[Both] have their place. I like having the book right in front of me and being able to follow along with my finger and not having to share the computer screen [with my notes], but for accessibility and availability...and it’s obviously very cheap...and it also means I don’t have to track it down from the library, they definitely both have their merits.”
- MSc student
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Findings
• Personal comfort• Availability• Portability• Intended use• Cost
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Personal Comfort
“Magnifying the print was a godsend during this time because my eyes were strained and tired from dry eyes.”
- 3rd year Psychology Student
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Availability
“The most important feature is to be able to access the books without having to get them out of the library and you can look at a book and scan through it to see if it’s what you want.”
- MSc Psychology Student
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Portability
“I like how it goes everywhere with you, it’s super light. I already carry around a laptop and I don’t want to have to carry around an additional 30 lb textbook.”
- 3rd year Animal Science Student
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Intended use“Ebooks are cool, but I still prefer print books for academic stuff. With journal articles, it’s OK, but they’re maybe 12-14 pages, but ebooks are over 100 pages so I won’t say I love them. I like them, but I don’t love them. I prefer print.”
- Spanish Studies MA Student
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Cost
“It’s easier to share [an ebook] among friends. We’ll logon to the same account any only one of us has to buy it. I don’t know if that’s legal. That’s the truth. I don’t know if we’re supposed to do it but we do.”
- 3rd year Animal Science Student
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Recommendations
• Improve records management workflows• Improve discovery • Improve resource sharing of ebooks• Create support tools for use of ebooks• Investigate preservation services for
ebooks
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
Recommendations
• Select ebooks with the fewest barriers • Advocate for fewer DRM restrictions and
more accessible formats and functionality• Increase faculty outreach• Investigate e-textbooks
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
“I think the study was really interesting and it’s nice to see that the library is interested in what the students like, because technology is a big part of our lives. I didn’t think [the Library] would do studies on ebooks and would just assume technology is the way to go.”
- 1st year Psychology Student
McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca
We welcome your questions…
rbergart@uoguelph.ca
pjacobs@uoguelph.ca
Image copyright © 2014 Jan Willemsen
http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca