2. Outline
Reasons for introducing e-books
Types of e-books
Advantages and disadvantages for users
Challenges for libraries
E-book awareness and usage
Marketing and promotion of e-books
E-books at the University of Texas
E-books in Polish university libraries
3. Why e-books?
Important as a learning resource
Widespread use of technology at universities
Useful for research
Earlier success of e-journals
5. Advantages for users
24/7 availability
Can be accessed by more than one person at a time
Full-text searching
Copy/paste option
Customisation
Searching through many books at one go
Advantages for people with disabilities
6. Disadvantages for users
Need for special equipment
Eye strain
Unfriendly software
Different interfaces
Digital Rights Management
Difficulty in accessing several e-books simultaneously
Distractions
7. Challenges for libraries
Digital Rights Management
Portable devices
Printing
Interlibrary loans
Plagiarism
Lack of user awareness
8. E-book awareness and usage
100%
2008
90%
80% 2011
70%
60%
50% 65%
57% 100%
40% 90% 2008
30% 80% 2011
20% 70%
10% 60%
0% 50%
E-book awareness among students 40% 52% 54%
30%
20%
10%
0%
E-book usage among students
Source: ebrary Global Student E-book Survey (2011)
(http://site.ebrary.com/lib/surveys/docDetail.action?docID=80076107)
9. E-book awareness and usage
Top 3 reasons for not using e-books:
students do not know where to find them
(47%)
students prefer printed books (44%)
their library does not offer e-books
(10%)
10. Marketing and promotion
Library websites
Library catalogs (OPACs)
Social networking applications
Online tutorials
Information literacy sessions
E-mails
Trial access
Stickers on print books
Recommendation by professor
11. E-books at the University of Texas 1
Web-based e-books
Suppliers:
NetLibrary, ebrary, Safari, IT Knowledge (title-by-title
and subject packages)
EBL (pay-per-view)
disciplinary databases
Most popular subjects:
computer science
economics and business
12. E-books at the University of Texas 2
Kindle e-book readers
Acquisition model:
purchase of titles requested by users
Check-out period: 2 weeks
Most popular genres:
light fiction
children’s literature
fantasy literature
13. E-books in Polish university libraries
Average number of e-books per student:
in 2007 – 0.04
in 2008 – 0.13
in 2009 – 0.13
in 2010 – 1.51
Source: Analiza funkcjonowania bibliotek naukowych w Polsce
(http://ssk2.bu.amu.edu.pl/standaryzacja/)
14. E-books in Polish university libraries
The University of Warsaw Library
Number of downloads of e-resources:
in 2009 – 764 653
in 2010 – 748 301
in 2011 – 782 364
Access to platforms:
MyiLibrary
Ibuk
Dawsonera
Ebrary
SpringerLink
15. Conclusion
There is considerable potential for e-books in
university libraries.
University libraries wishing to introduce e-books face
many challenges.
E-book awareness and usage among students
is not satisfactory.
