Phil Gee from Plymouth University presents at Talis Insight 2015

1. Leveling the playing field:
the Plymouth eBook Project
Phil Gee
Plymouth University
Winner
2013

2. I wouldn’t start from here

3. September 2014
•Focus on new undergraduates
•80% of programmes
•7000 Students
•26,000 books.

4. key benefits
• teach knowing ALL students can access
reading (anywhere)
• level playing field
• note sharing (for starters ... nexus for
educational tech)
• frees up library resources.

5. works well because
• books ‘belong’ to student*
• read anywhere, any time
• encourages ‘reading for a
degree’.

6. good for publishers
•much more predictable
•multi-year deal cost and
market advantages
•universities less likely to
pirate their stuff.

7. good for us
•we do our job more
effectively
•we have happy students.

8. challenge: working with
academics
• herding cats would be easier
• decision: which available texts suitable?
• commit to several years?
• email isn’t enough
• a new cost.

9. challenge: working with
publishers
• like herding partially-trained cats
• variation in digital & institutional
strategies
• variation in pricing policy
• RRP RIP?.

10. challenge: working
together
• find ways to collect & share data
• focus on service not products
• clear and realistic pricing.

11. final thoughts
• really exciting time in academic publishing
• opportunity to put quality (& enhanced?)
texts in to back pockets
• chance to develop new partnerships &
ways of thinking about content.

12. pgee@plymouth.ac.uk