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Accessing E-books through Academic Library Web Sites
Abstract
This article examines access to electronic books as provided on theWeb sites of academic libraries in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Our goal was to discover the ways in which that access occurs and to analyze the merit of the various approaches. We found some common barriers to access, as well as many cases of exemplary access. Many libraries could improve access to e-books by providing guidance to the content of e-book packages, by including the word “book” in links from the homepage to the pages that provide e-books, by providing a one-step limit to e-books in the catalog, by explaining which types of resources are available through search structures outside the catalog, and by featuring e-books in library publicity and instruction.
... Given other e-book discovery and access options such as Web-scale discovery services, federated search tools, vendor platforms, and library website guides, there is a call for a research agenda on the complementarity between catalogs and these other tools for e-book discovery and access (Dinkelman & Stacy-Bates, 2007;Walters, 2013). ...
... Current library catalogs have room for improvement in light of their listing and browsing capabilities. As pointed out by Dinkelman & Stacy-Bates (2007), a catalog should improve the look and feel to be a surrogate of former "pick and choose" browsing in the reading room. ...
... Today's library users expect a search experience that is simplified, fast, effective, and all-inclusive, but seamlessly across a variety of resources, which is "similar" to their use of Google and other search engines (Asher, Duke, & Wilson, 2013;Vaughan, 2011). However, some argue that library catalog records alone do not sufficiently provide e-book access without being incorporated through the website to offer effective discovery capability with a more dynamic, flexible, and user-oriented approach (Dinkelman & Stacy-Bates, 2007). ...
This paper highlights an overview of the conceptual approach to e-resource discoverability in academic libraries with a focus on research on the assessment of library catalog performance in the Patron-Driven Acquisitions (PDA) model for e-book collection development. Although the published literature stresses the key role of the library catalog in the PDA model for e-book acquisitions, the findings in this paper show that, until now, there has been a lack of research on users’ e-resources searching behavior and PDA. As a conclusion, the authors think that in such a large universe of digital information on the Web, a new branded local catalog could be the way to visualize a more “tangible” experience between users and e-book collections.
... In contrast the publishers of titles themselves entered more slowly into the ebook providing arena, with Elsevier, Wiley, Oxford Unviersity Press, Gale and Kluwer (Wicht, 2005) including ebooks and ebook collections in their catalogues. Each offers different purchase and access models though most are utilising web based options rather than downloadable versions with offline reading capacity (Dinkelman & Stacy-Bates, 2007). ...
... A decade of literature has formed quite a consensual list of ebook advantages and disadvantages for both the user and providing library. The following lists are a compilation derived from a selection of literature (Anuradha & Usha, 2006;Ball, 2009;Dinkelman & Stacy-Bates, 2007;Jamali et al., 2009;Poulin, 1999;Romero, 2011;Slater, 2010;Snowhill, 2001;Vassiliou & Rowley, 2008). ...
... Library promotion and education appears to be a common weakness found throughout the literature. Many authors, especially those who conducted patron surveys, have concluded that libraries need to become substantially more proactive in promotion, education and offering clearer pathways to accessing ebooks (Anuradha & Usha, 2006;Carlock & Perry, 2008;Dinkelman & Stacy-Bates, 2007;Jamali et al., 2009;Lonsdale & Armstrong, 2001;Mincic-Obradovic, 2009;Snowhill, 2001). Berg et al. (2010) additionally challenges librarians to continue their professional understanding and the needs of their patrons and this belief is echoed by other authors and their findings (Anuradha & Usha, 2006;McKiel, Gibbons, & ebrary, 2007;Tonta, Al, & Soydal, 2010). ...
Research problem
The goal of this research was to determine the perception, uptake and use of ebooks by academic staff at the University of Waikato. The study discovers why, and to a certain degree how, academics are utilising, or not utilising, ebook resources available to them from the University‟s Library. The results inform library staff involved with the promotion, purchase and education of the use of ebooks.
Methodology
An online quantitative questionnaire survey was employed to gather the necessary data for analysis. This statistical approach enabled the survey to be delivered to a wider range of participants allowing for a broader coverage of responses. The population of this study was drawn exclusively from the employees of the University of Waikato and the particular sample chosen was confined to academics who are involved with teaching and/or research.
Results
The study shows that ebook awareness is strong with the academic community but generally, the full potential of ebooks has not been realised within their professional environment. There is clearly the need and desire for improvement of technologies, access and supply of ebooks. It is also apparent that there is a need for patron education by the Library to raise awareness about the ebooks they offer and the tools used to view and access them.
Implications
An increase in support from Library staff through a variety of channels is required. Visibility and access to ebooks needs to be improved along with greater relevancy of available content. Education and instruction should serve as the primary tools to increase academic use and acceptance of ebooks. However not all these goals can be achieved by Library staff as many limitations are imposed by ebook vendors and publishers and therefore outside of the Library‟s control. Despite these limitations it is important for Library staff to assist ebook users to explore the advantageous aspects of the ebook environment.
Keywords
Ebooks; academics; perceptions; library; university
... The general recommendations for catalogers Journal of the Medical Library Association 107 (1) January 2019 jmla.mlanet.org have been to make good use of cataloging rules and keep up-to-date with current rules, make necessary changes to vendor-provided records, and add holdings to OCLC [3,5]. ...
... 4. Flag MARC records, add a local holdings note, and create a Knowledge Bases and Related Tools (KBART) collection. 5. Add records to the curated list in WorldCat Local. ...
Electronic books are a substantial component of many academic libraries. Many libraries aim to make their collections easily discoverable through curated lists. The authors’ library devised a methodology to identify and flag all e-books authored by our institution’s faculty using MARCEdit and Microsoft Access. We highlight some of the challenges in gathering a comprehensive list of titles, the process of formulating such a list, and the measures needed to actively curate e-books by faculty for both content already in the collection and newly published titles.
... Although several academic libraries have a Web page and enter points within the library's online catalogue to allow users to access and find e-books, many catalogues, users could not specifically search about e-books [54]. Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates [54] discuss that the terms used to identify e-books in the catalogue were non-standard and confusing, which hindered students' ability to identify, access, and use e-books. ...
... Although several academic libraries have a Web page and enter points within the library's online catalogue to allow users to access and find e-books, many catalogues, users could not specifically search about e-books [54]. Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates [54] discuss that the terms used to identify e-books in the catalogue were non-standard and confusing, which hindered students' ability to identify, access, and use e-books. In essence, students might want to use an e-book, but academic libraries were doing a poor job enabling students to find them. ...
During the past two decades, many researchers study the adoption of technology as one of the important drivers in the development of education. Researchers are keen to recognize the status or factors that determine technology adoption and usage [1]. Several patterns are developed to aid in predicting technology acceptance. From these models, the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Planned Behaviours, and the Technology Acceptance Model are derived. These models are widely-used and most investigated.This research will be based on the Technology Acceptance Model. A number of external factors will be added to this modelto examine their impact on the acceptance of e-book in Mathematics and Statistics students at universities in Libya.
... 008) and faculty (Carlock, 2008 ) express a dislike for ebooks and a stated preference for print books, though Walton reported in 2007 that actual usage statistics indicate broader acceptance of e-books than is implied by attitudes expressed by students and faculty. Several recent studies have researched access to e-books across academic libraries. Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates (2007) surveyed access to e-books at 111 academic library Web sites, finding that over half of the libraries dedicated a separate Web page to e-books, but the content and quality of the pages varied considerably. Hutton (2008) tracked the availability Business Resources 7 of ten specific e-books through the online catalogs of ten academic libr ...
... Several recent studies have researched access to e-books across academic libraries. Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates (2007) surveyed access to e-books at 111 academic library Web sites, finding that over half of the libraries dedicated a separate Web page to e-books, but the content and quality of the pages varied considerably. Hutton (2008) tracked the availability of ten specific e-books through the online catalogs of ten academic libraries serving distance learners, finding only three titles available through any of the libraries. ...
This study is an examination of access to business research resources through academic library websites, including research databases, catalog services, research guides, and business librarians. The websites of 114 academic libraries serving top business programs in the United States were studied. Results reveal a wide range of access to business research databases among the schools studied (anywhere from 11 to 100 business databases available). More than 95% of the schools provided business research guides, and nearly all schools provided at least some contact information for business librarians.
... For example: Patrons interested in searching the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics may not know the title is part of CHEMnetBASE. (Dinkelman, & Stacy-bates, 2007) Advantages & Disadvantages The web interface allows the user not only to read the text, but also opens up possibilities of linking to other resources, cross-test searching, and utilization of dictionaries and so on. This is one of the most effective method as library website is the main source of information for patron. ...
Our learning, understanding and knowledge incessantly develops with collective participation,
discussion, conversations about the content and active interactions with likeminded and opposers
which culminates fruitful results for knowledge generation. Such healthy practice creates new
knowledge and ways for its application for societal development and thus helps in professional
growth and development.
A conference is a social platform for knowledge creation, application and viable solutions for the
professional practitioners as the whole gamut reflects in two ways as inside the conference
educational sessions the knowledge cascade flows from experts to the participants and outside the
periphery open environment helps in better learning and understanding the new professional changes
and challenges. Hence, a conference in real terms is a learning ground for:
Educational opportunities for professional excellence;
Learning and cope with technological advancements for effective services;
Networking with peers and Experts;
Encounter new vendors and suppliers in the field;
Position yourself as an expert;
Opportunities for recreation too.
The dawn of technological advancements, new challenges and changes to cope up for effective and
best services, workmanship and professional excellence to remain the trustworthy advisors and
service orienteers to deal with upcoming concepts, issues, technological changes, impediments and
opportunities demands that we professionals have to recast our role and prove our competence and
mettle for users' satisfaction.
To address the professional needs and effectively deal with professional challenges, the Delhi Library
Association, Delhi and Satija Research Foundation for Library and Information Science are jointly
organizing this International Conference as 3rd DLA-SRFLIS Summit 2019.
The main theme of 3rdDLA- SRFLIS Summit-2019 is “Digital Age Strategies in Information
Management for Sustainable Librarianship” with sub themes as Innovative Library Services and
Users‟ Expectations, Content Management and Access to Information in Digital Age, Innovations in
LIS Education and Research, Role of Libraries for Sustainable Future and Best Practices and Metrics
Studies. These earmarked areas vary aptly justify the new issues and impediments facing by present
day libraries and library professionals.
To outreach the professionals for gaining skills and competencies through dialogue and discussions,
the organizers have not left any stone untouched and widely used the social media tools such as LIS
Links, library soup, allconferencealert.com, library(dot)com, Linkedin, Facebook and Whatsapp
groups and also other means for wider promotion and publicity. The effective impact is very much
visible with excellent response from library professionals throughout the country and abroad who
keenly forwarded their research papers and showed extreme happiness to be a part of this mega event.
Further, the Editorial committee faced arduous task by selecting the most significant papers exploring
the latest trends and developments of libraries and professional challenges and conducted the
plagiarism checking of the selected papers through URKUND and TURNITIN softwares. This
exercise shows that after prudent peer review, out of more than 100 papers forwarded by LIS
professionals only sixty eight exclusive qualitative research papers are selected for publication and
presentation. The papers comprehensively cover the diverse realms of Innovative Library Services,
Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Mobile and Smart Technology, LIS Education,
Metric studies, Library & Information Science and its allied fields.
This conference intends to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas and knowledge on
the main theme as well as the various sub-themes. The main objectives of the conference are to:
Develop a clear understanding on the role of IT, Management Science and LIS Professionals
in Knowledge Innovation and Knowledge Management.
Discuss, debate and develop strategies to manage information systems and libraries in web
environment.
Identify and share „Best Practices‟ developed and adopted by various libraries and
information systems.
Increase the expertise and provide the best possible platform by educating students and
attracting new researchers
The volume has been organized in five sections around the Conference‟s main theme. The papers are
organized accordingly with title alphabetically arranged.
Section one on Innovative Library Services and Users Expectation includes twenty papers on
various sub-themes. These papers cover various issues like Library Services, Analysis of Service
Quality Using SERVQUAL Scale, Artificial Intelligent, Smart and Mobile Technologies, Literacy
Skills, Digital Library Initiatives, Web based Library Services and Web Accessibility, etc.
Section two on Content Management and Access to Information in Digital Age includes seven
papers covering Collection and Services Management in Special Libraries, Impact of E-Resources on
E-Learning, Content Creation Using ZOOMLA, Preservation of Digital Contents and Organisation of
Graphic Materials.
Section three on Innovation in LIS Education and Research - include twelve papers on various sub-
themes as Web-based Information Seeking Behaviour, Implementation of KOHA, MOOCS:
SWAYAM, Open Access Initiatives, Research and Reference Management Tools, Blended and
Digital Learning,
Section four on Role of Libraries for Sustainable Future and Best Practices include ten papers on
various sub-themes. These papers deal with Internet of Things (IOT), Government Libraries, RFID
Technology, Marketing of Library Products and Services, Librarianship and Use of Internet.
Section five on Metric Studies include nineteen papers on Scientometric, Almetrics, Research
Productivity of Institutions, Author Collaborations Mapping of Science, Research Trends in different
discipline, Study of Web of Science and SCOPUS databases and Website analysis.
The Two extended Abstracts on Mobile Library and Plagiarism Issue has also been published..
The Editorial Board is sincerely thankful to the faculty and research scholars of Department of
Library and Information Science, University of Delhi, namely Mr. Divyanshu Gupta, Ms. Sapna, Mr.
Manir Uddin Ansari and others. We are also thankful to Emeritus Prof. MP Satija, Department of
Library and Information Science, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar and Prof. CP
Vashishta, Patron, Delhi Library Association for necessary inputs and as a source of inspiration.
Further, Editorial Board acknowledges with profound gratitude, the immense efforts of the
contributors on new contemporary issues on the topic and hope that the ideas generated in these
papers would be a source of information, knowledge and reference for the future research,
conference, workshops, seminars and academics deliberations. We hope that the conference
deliberations will help in enrichment of information and knowledge and provide imminent practical
training to LIS professionals in true spirit.
... Mobile data technologies are wireless technologies which are built in mobile devices and provide information interchange between mobile devices and other devices or networks and can improve library service delivery as they are not limited by place and time (Onyango, Ongus, Awuor & Nyamboga, 2014). Many libraries could improve access to library resources by providing guidance to the content of e-resource packages, by including the word "book" in links from the homepage to the pages that provide e-books, by providing a one-step limit to library resources in the catalog, by explaining which types of resources are available through search structures outside the catalog, and by featuring e-books in library publicity and instruction (Dinkelman & Stacy-Bates, 2007). Pomerantz & Marchionini (2007) argues that a library is more than a pile of books and creates value to information resources by organizing them and making them available. ...
Tremendous advancements attained in the last
one decade in computer and mobile phone technologies have
completely changed patrons’ information seeking behavior
and left librarians and information professionals rethinking
about ways of re-engineering library resources to foster their
utility. Libraries and information centres have invested
heavily on holding library resources and services from
different disciplines in a frantic move to address users’ needs
but limited readership is still recorded. In this paper, the
researcher delved into analyzing the use of mobile phone
technology in access and utilization of library resources and
services as a way of re-engineering library holdings to
promote their (library resources and services) consumption.
The targeted population was Mount Kenya University Kisii
campus library users. A cross sectional survey research
design aimed at identifying library users’ perception on the
use of mobile phone technology was used. Stratified
sampling was used to identify the students-respondents and
purposive sampling used to select the library staff. While
questionnaires were placed to collect the data from students,
library staff respondents were interviewed. The study sample
comprised four hundred (445) library users and staff out of a
population of three thousand five hundred and twenty eight
(1467). Once the data collection is complete, quantitative
data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean,
distributions in percentages and frequency counts.
Qualitative data was recorded from field data, transcribed
and reported in themes and sub themes. The study showed
among other findings, that there are increased retrieval and
use of library resources and services through the use mobile
phone technology in Mount Kenya University Kisii Campus.
... Academic libraries can use Web pages creatively in order to be visible to their university community and promote their services and products. Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates (2007) give useful insights on how a library Website can effectively promote e-books using Websites. They advise that library Websites must avoid using ambiguous terms. ...
E-resources are now an integral part of the collections in academic libraries. Librarians are under pressure to justify the investment through evidence of usage. Consequently, librarians have realised that they must aggressively market and create awareness. Marketing, however, costs money. In many libraries, allocation of funds for marketing has been overlooked. Many librarians have created promotional activities at minimal cost to the library.This article highlights promotional activities identified through a literature review that one can undertake at minimal cost. The author also shares the experience of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Library, Nairobi, Kenya.
... Initial library responses paralleled those of the introduction of electronic serials -creation of Web page listings or individually cataloged for addition to the OPAC. 2 When only a limited number of eBooks were available, libraries could do whatever they wanted regarding bibliographic management without worry or repercussions. Now that large quantities of digital books are available, all the identification issues connected with journals haunt the eBook format in tandem with additional considerations. ...
... There has been confusion throughout the literature about the term itself, with ebook or ebook, electronic book, electronic text, or even e-text being commonly used (Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates 2007). The term "e-book" will be used in this paper. ...
In 2009, e-book usage statistics were evaluated at Laurentian University, Canada, to provide a better understanding in how the e-book collection has been utilized as well as to give direction for further collection development. The number of e-books, the number of viewings and the number of searches were examined. The size of the collection grew from a single book in 2002 to more than 60,000 in 2008. The pattern of purchase varied from that of bulk purchasing of large e-book collections to a more selective purchase from 2005 to 2007 and then back to that of bulk purchasing in 2008. Both viewings and searches have increased from year to year at a greater pace than the size e-book collection. The number of searches also appeared to provide a viable means to measure the use of an e-book collection rather than relying entirely on viewings or downloads. Ratios were calculated when comparing viewings and searches to the size of the collection. The largest viewings per e-book and searches per e-book ratios were observed in those years when purchasing was done more selectively. It is also clear that the electronic reference collection has seen far greater use then the electronic monographs. Furthermore, usage of electronic monographs also appeared to be directly proportional to the size of the collection.
... A study reviewed the content of ARL members' library guides ( Jackson and Pellack, 2004). Another looked at the implementation of Google Scholar by ARL libraries (Mullen and Hartman, 2006), while a third study examined the presence of e-books on ARL web sites (Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates, 2007). A fourth study reviewed current literature regarding the usability, design and content of academic libraries' web sites; several of the studies included ARL members (Blummer, 2007). ...
Purpose
– The balanced scorecard is gaining momentum as an assessment framework for academic libraries in North America. The purpose of this paper is to examine locally designed assessments available on Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members’ web sites and maps the data to the standard ISO 11620 – Library Performance Indicators (PIs), which is a version of the balanced scorecard. The questions are: first, does data from ARL member web sites cluster round certain ISO 11620 PIs? Second, what implications does data clustering have on internal planning and cross-institutional collaborations? Third, will future standards such as ISO 16439 complement the framework and methods in ISO 11620?
Design/methodology/approach
– Using the quantitative content inventory and qualitative content audit method, this research analyzes ARL members’ locally designed assessment data. The data grouped within a library category, such as collections, is mapped to PIs found in the ISO 11620.
Findings
– The locally designed assessment data covers a variety of library processes and maps to many ISO 11620 PIs. From this research libraries can develop methods for tying assessment activities into a comprehensive framework like the balanced scorecard. Using ISO 11620 can advance assessment planning. Implementing this standard can lay the foundation for activities that might arise from standards under development such as ISO 16439 – Library Impact Standard.
Originality/value
– This is the first research to gather, exam, and map ARL members’ assessment data to the framework of the ISO 11620 standard.
... There is currently some debate about the virtues of linking to e-books through the library catalogue and through library web pages (e.g. Busby 2007, Dinkelman andStacy-Bates 2007). While linking from traditional catalogue records in an OPAC does seem to drive some usage, this approach ignores the granularity of searching that electronic resources provide and the opportunities for integrating library resources into other systems used heavily by the student population. ...
The influx of Digital Natives into higher education, combined with the introduction of virtual learning environments as the primary means of interaction between students and universities, will have a transformational effect on learning and on library services. This paper examines the e-book market-place and the main UK responses to it (the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium's tender and the JISC E-Books Observatory project). Within this context the innovative measures already taken by Bournemouth University are discussed, as are plans to develop innovative pedagogic frameworks and an e-reading strategy through a Higher Education Academy-funded pathfinder project, Innovative E-Learning with E-Resources (eRes).
ICT has transformed traditional publishing into electronic publishing. As a result, eBook has become an integral part of modern library collection. This survey-based paper attempts to know the awareness, acceptance and usage patterns of the Central Library users community of NITK. Paper also verify eBooks features of users likes and dislikes along with a study on eBooks usage patterns. This paper is a result of study conducted to know awareness and acceptance of newly introduced eBooks at NITK before making eBooks a regular part of our Collection Development Policy. This study revealed that more number of library user's find eBooks as good as a print, but still liking of Print books co-exist.
An analysis of the literature on access and accessibility in academic libraries identified five themes including: evaluating electronic resources and services for disabled users, examining the digital divide and electronic access in countries with limited resources, analyzing access to library collections and services, increasing access to electronic resources and services, and utilizing tools to promote access to resources. The review highlighted the importance of assessment, user studies, collaboration, skills instruction, and technologies in fostering access and accessibility in academic libraries. Assessing all users' access to library resources remains essential in identifying issues with the delivery of services and materials through the web. User studies foster improved access to resources by revealing individuals' resource and instructional needs as well their physical impairments. Collaboration among various entities supports funding, resource acquisition, and service development, especially in countries with limited resources. Instruction, like collaboration, enhances users' access through the improvement of their information and digital literacy skills. Lastly, access and accessibility of library resources centers on the use of technology to support all users' abilities to utilize libraries materials and services. Students' access to library resources and services is critical for their completion of course work as well as their development of 21st Century skills.
This paper examines teachers’ perceptions about using electronic books (e-books) in early childhood education to improve students’ literacy skills. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 teachers in three different schools for this aim. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the views. The findings suggest that teachers’ perceptions of e-books are generally positive. During the interviews, most of the teachers stated that using e-books in early childhood increased the students’ interest in reading and their reading competencies. As a mechanism for rewarding, electronic badges integrated into the e-books were reported as a positive factor increasing the students’ interest in reading. However, technical problems and parents’ limited guidance were reported as the biggest challenges for the students and the teachers in the study.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to find out how much the purchasing and lending of individual electronic books really cost. Additionally, this paper investigates which kind of approach would be cheaper and less time-consuming for library staff as well as library patrons – purchase or short-term loan.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted at the Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) Library. This is the only university library in Estonia where the Ebook Central platform is adapted on a large scale. For background information, all statistical data of expenditures and average prices of purchases and short-term loans during April 2013 and December 2018 were calculated and analysed. Through a case study, the time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) method was used – all activities related to acquisition and lending of eBooks were identified, recorded in detail and analysed. More specifically, the study concerned eBooks offered in the Ebook Central platform and covered purchasing and short-term loan processes, such as receipt of order request, communication with the patron (if necessary) making a purchase or short-term loan, and feedback to the patron.
Findings
While analysing the results, it appeared there are many additional activities libraries can avoid during the eBook short-term loan process compared to purchasing. As a normality in TalTech library, purchase is always followed by a cataloguing process which increases the time and cost of this process in turn. On the basis of the current study, it can be said that short-term loan is a cheaper way to use eBooks; many activities related to the short-term loan of eBooks take remarkably less staff time and financial resources than eBooks acquisition/purchasing activities. When analysing the literature reviewed as well as collected statistical data, the problem may arise when the decision-maker librarian is not experienced, professional or long-sighted enough to understand the future behaviour of the patron or the usage of the specific eBook. When the usage reaches a certain point, it becomes an indicator of continuing future usage and so it makes sense to purchase the eBook, as the library pays no further charges once an eBook is owned.
Originality/value
Most studies reviewed by the author are based on the statistical data collected about expenditure, costs, usage, cost-per-use, etc. of short-term loans and purchases. While acquisitions costs, average cost per acquired item per year and cost per usage are easy to identify, it has been difficult to measure associated costs of acquisition, cataloging and circulation. The TDABC methodology seems to be one of the best tools for understanding cost behaviour and refining a cost system for university libraries. Based on the information known to the author, there is no study carried out using the TDABC methodology for analysing costs of eBook programmes.
This study investigates how upper high school teachers' and students' views on the use of chemistry e-book developed by 4S TMD. In academia, e-book is progressively playing a central role in teaching, learning and research, as it helps to increase access timely and diverse scholarly material. In line with this purpose, the present study aimed at determining the views of teachers and students regarding e-book developed by 4S TMD. The participants of the study were three teachers and nine students. In this study, qualitative methods were used by semi-structured interview. The results revealed that the use of e-book developed by 4S TMD provides positive results in learning activities both in the views of teachers and students. The use of e-book can increase the productivity of learning, help teachers to streamline the efficiency of learning time, easy to carry, information is more concrete and allows students to be independent.
E-books nowadays have greatly evolved in its presentation and functions, however its features for education need to be investigated and inspired because people who are accustomed to using printed books may consider and approach it in the same way as they do printed ones. Therefore, the authors compared the EPUB e-book content model with the SCORM e-learning content model from the respects of their content presentation, metadata and package structures. Drs. Chang and Hung found that 1) EPUB has the possibility to implement the advantage of content sharing and reusing. 2) EPUB e-books can present educational materials with multimedia and interactive components based on web technology. However, content creators should beware of the limited supported media types 3) EPUB lacks dedicated educational metadata. 4) EPUB e-books have a content reflow mechanism to adjust layouts to fit small screen devices and are able to use all resources offline. Finally, they determined the research issues and strategies that are worthy of further investigation and development for EPUB e-books in education based on our findings.
An analysis of the literature on access and accessibility in academic libraries identified five themes including: Evaluating electronic resources and services for disabled users, examining the digital divide and electronic access in countries with limited resources, analyzing access to library collections and services, increasing access to electronic resources and services, and utilizing tools to promote access to resources. The review highlighted the importance of assessment, user studies, collaboration, skills instruction, and technologies in fostering access and accessibility in academic libraries. Assessing all users' access to library resources remains essential in identifying issues with the delivery of services and materials through the web. User studies foster improved access to resources by revealing individuals' resource and instructional needs as well their physical impairments. Collaboration among various entities supports funding, resource acquisition, and service development, especially in countries with limited resources. Instruction, like collaboration, enhances users' access through the improvement of their information and digital literacy skills. Lastly, access and accessibility of library resources centers on the use of technology to support all users ' abilities to utilize libraries materials and services. Students ' access to library resources and services is critical for their completion of course work as well as their development of 21st Century skills.
Since the use of eBooks in academic environments, many institutions are implementing initiatives to integrate them. Nowadays, the University of Salamanca provides three types of access: open, restricted and loan, lends devices for reading and disseminates them thorough multiple channels. However, the good intention of these actions does not guarantee success. The types of access, the visibility of eBooks, the collections and user perceptions are studied in order to check whether the targets are met. The results show poorly designed platforms, insufficient supply of eBooks, low levels of knowledge, dissemination and usage by the university community; and outline recommendations for improvement.
The purpose of this study was to investigate students' awareness, usage and attitude towards e-books at the Zhejiang University in China. The research design was quantitative using a convenience sampling method and chi-square analyses were employed. Library staff responsible for digital resources collection had been interviewed. Results indicated that there was a significant difference of students' awareness and usage of general e-books and academic e-books. There was a higher awareness but lower adoption of general e-books. The awareness and level of usage of library provided e-books were both very low. A search engine was generally used to access e-books. Senior undergraduates and postgraduate students mainly accessed e-books from the library website and library catalog. Students, particularly undergraduate students, used e-books mainly for the purpose of leisure. In contrast, postgraduate students tended to use e-books more for academic purposes. The use of mobile devices and computers was preferred when reading e-books; but for academic e-books students preferred print part of them for reading. University students showed strong preference for printing books. Academic libraries should put more efforts on promotion, stimulating demands, and cooperation with teachers to improve e-books usage.
Written from the perspective of a librarian, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the impact of e-books on academic libraries. The author discusses advantages to both researchers and librarians and provides current examples of innovative uses of e-books in academic contexts. This book reviews the current situation in e-book publishing, and describes problems in managing e-books in libraries caused by the variety of purchase models and varying formats available, and the lack of standardisation. It discusses solutions for providing access and maintaining bibliographic control, looks at various initiatives to publicise and promote e-books, and compares e-book usage surveys to track changes in user preferences and behaviour over the last decade. E-books have already had a huge impact on academic libraries, and major advances in technology will bring further changes. There is a need for collaboration between libraries and publishers. The book concludes with reflections on the future of e-books in academic libraries.
Objective: to analyse the introduction of the scientific and technical e-book collection of the "Rocasolano" Chemistry-Physics Library (Biqfr) of CSIC and the strategies adopted for the dissemination, creation, implementation, and management of the collection between 2007 and 2009. Methodology: an in-depth interview was conducted with the director of the research library, and field work was undertaken with the other Biqfr librarians. The information obtained from these two sources was used to analyse aspects of the introduction of e-books from a diachronic perspective. Results: the library was one of the first to introduce e-books, which represented certain challenges for the librarians, especially as regards making the resources visible and promoting their use among researchers. The librarians adopted various strategies to create and disseminate the collection, enabling them to gain experience in their management and to identify the unique characteristics of this resource in comparison with traditional journals and databases.
E-books have become a substantial part of many academic library collections. Catalog records for each e-book title enhance discovery by library users, but cataloging individual books may be impossible when large packages are purchased. Increasingly, libraries are relying on outside sources for their e-book catalog records, which may come from vendors or third-party record services and are frequently included in the price of a subscription. Rather than handling individual items, catalogers find themselves managing and manipulating large sets of catalog records. While dealing with the records in batch is the only practical way to provide access to the large sets, batch processing does bring about a new set of challenges. This paper will explore the challenges of managing Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) records for the Springer e-book collection at the University of Illinois at Chicago University Library. It discusses tools and methods to improve record quality while working in a consortial setting. It provides lessons learned, continuing challenges of working with vendor records, and some steps that might help other libraries expedite the process of getting vendor records into the catalog.
This paper presents the results of a quantitative and systematic investigation exploring online e-book usage at the J.N. Desmarais Library of Laurentian University over a 9-year period. The size of an e-book collection was determined to show evidence of an extremely strong relationship with the level of usage e-books experienced. Of all factors examined during the course of this study, it was the size of the collection that exhibited the strongest association to usage levels and would suggest just how important the size and content of a collection can be to patron acceptance and utilization. Of all student academic levels, doctoral students exhibited the strongest relationship with e-book usage, while undergraduate students showed signs of the weakest. Faculty demonstrated the overall weakest relationship with e-book usage.
E-book management in academic libraries is examined, and a framework of the stages in the e-book management process is generated; the framework summarizes the key activities and associated issues and challenges for each stage. Academic libraries are one of the main markets for textbooks and other e-books. As such, the relationships that they forge with e-book vendors (publishers and aggregators), and the resolution of some of the challenges that they currently face in managing their collections of e-books, will have significant consequences for the adoption of e-books in learning. An interview-based study with a purposive sample of interviewees working as managers, subject librarians, metadata officers, and e-resources coordinators from seven academic libraries in the UK was conducted to investigate the libraries' experiences and perceptions of e-book management. The resultant e-book management framework identifies the processes associated with the management of e-books, and also offers insights into the challenges and issues associated with each stage. The stages in the framework are: collection development policy, budget, discovery, evaluation and selection, license negotiations, cataloging and delivery, marketing/promotion, user education, monitoring and reviewing, and renewals and cancellation.
The internet resources are one of the important knowledge sharing tools in day–to–day business processes. These internet resources have greater impact on education field too. The learning processes have become comparatively easy due to these electronic resources. The online resources help the students to acquire the required knowledge through self-learning. These resources have become an integral part of the educational system. Some characteristics like easiness, usefulness, reliability, knowledge supports, familiarity and preferences that these electronic resources possess, motivate the users to utilize the full potentials of the technology and increase their satisfaction to greater extend. An analytical study was conducted to find out the influences of the major characteristics of internet resources on Omani learners’ learning processes. In this paper, the influences of the above characteristics on learners’ satisfaction in using these electronic resources in their learning processes have been studied using various statistical analysis such as regression analysis, descriptive analysis and correlation analysis. An impact model has been proposed with respect to Omani learners. The results show that the determinants like easiness, usefulness and knowledge supports have positive impacts on Omani learners’ satisfaction.
It is an important trend to expand the use of bibliographic records from
the supply chain for libraries. However, what are the sources of vendors’
bibliographic records? Their quality? How do libraries deal with these
bibliographic records? Are they satisfied them? This study first drawn 1,080
bibliographic records from 29 e-book products, and MarcEdit was used to
check their quality and 14% were found to contain errors. Secondly, this study
interviewed 12 vendors and found out that bibliographic records of western
books were mostly copied from the OCLC, and there were also bibliographic
records from the original vendors who commissioned outsource companies
to do the cataloging process. In addition, there were those cataloged by
Taiwanese manufacturers themselves. Lastly, this study sent questionnaires
to Taiwan Academic E-Book & Database Consortium members to survey
their satisfaction on bibliographic records provided by vendors and their
recommendations thereof. This study shows that most libraries have inputted
the bibliographic records of the e-books into their OPAC system and are
generally satisfied with the bibliographic records provided by the vendors,
though opinions vary on the accuracy of these records.
During the past two decades, many researchers study the adoption of technology as one of the important drivers in the development of education. Researchers are keen to recognize the status or factors that determine technology adoption and usage [1]. Several patterns are developed to aid in predicting technology acceptance. From these models, the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Planned Behaviours, and the Technology Acceptance Model are derived. These models are widely-used and most investigated. This research will be based on the Technology Acceptance Model. A number of external factors will be added to this model to examine their impact on the acceptance of e-book in Mathematics and Statistics students at universities in Libya.
Patron-Driven Acquisitions (PDA) is a new model used for e-book acquisition by academic libraries. A key component of this model is to make records of e-books available in a library catalog and let actual patron usage decide whether or not an item is purchased. However, there has been a lack of research examining the role of the library catalog as a tool for e-book discovery and use in PDA. This paper presents a case study of using PDA for e-book acquisition in an academic library, with a focus on the role of the library catalog in this purchasing model. The implications and challenges are also discussed.
What influence do discovery tools have on the use of science and engineering e-book collections? This collaborative study compares usage data at four Canadian academic libraries (McGill University, University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University and University of Toronto) to determine whether or not discovery tools, such as Summon or WorldCat Local, increase usage of science and engineering e-books. The paper evaluates usage of major science and engineering e-book packages such as Wiley Online Library, Synthesis Digital Library, Springer Link, Knovel and Books 24×7. Findings are mixed and show that there are large variations in use by institution due to local implementation decisions, changes to discovery tools over time and other factors. However, it also seems that full-text indexing of e-book collections (e.g. Wiley and Springer) correlates with higher e-book usage. Authors recommend that vendors make e-books full-text indexable so they better “compete for space” in discovery engine results that have vast amounts of articles, and provide COUNTER-compliant statistics so libraries can make evidence-based comparisons.
This research provides the first review of publicly available assessment information found on Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members' websites. After providing an overarching review of benchmarking assessment data, and of professionally recommended assessment models, this paper examines if libraries contextualized their assessment activities for planning internal program improvements. Benchmarking data included LibQUAL +® and SAILS. Professionally recommended assessment models included Return on Investment and the value-added framework. This research analyzes ARL members' annual reports, websites, and strategic plans to evaluate whether or not libraries used benchmarking assessment and endorsed assessment models to describe their value to the parent institution. The results of this research reveal inconsistencies among ARL members' reporting of assessment. The researchers offer examples of exemplary assessment reporting by three ARL members.
E-books have yet to assume a significant place in academic library collections. This article focuses on extracting common themes from the literature that might help the reader better understand why e-books have not yet become the cornerstone of the academic library. Patrons do not use e-books because they find the experience of using e-books incongruous with their experience of using other electronic resources, and many of the unexpected limitations they encounter when using e-books are not inherent to the format. Most often, they are purposefully imposed limitations tied to digital rights management techniques. Librarians do not purchase e-books because the titles they want to acquire are often not available electronically, because they are priced or packaged in a way that makes them less appealing than their print counterparts, or because acquiring e-books does not easily integrate into their normal acquisitions workflow.
Currently no dedicated electronic-books (e-books) management system exists that effectively and consistently searches across different e-book databases. The University of South Alabama Biomedical Library has explored multiple ways to improve accessibility to its e-book collection, including federated search engines, WorldCat Local QuickStart, an Electronic Resource Management system, the online catalog, and alphabetical/subject lists.Despite exploring numerous tools and approaches, biomedical librarians have yet to discover a single process to effectively and efficiently manage their e-book collection. Therefore, multiple methods are employed, including enabling title searches by uploading the e-book collection to Serials Solutions, listing e-books by subject and alphabetically, using WebFeat for cross-platform content searching, and employing location limits for e-books in the online catalog.Although requiring disparate tools and methods, a multiple access points approach has currently proven the best e-book management system for the Biomedical Library's patrons.
LibraryJournal's 2011 Ebook Penetration and Use in U.S. Libraries Survey testifies to e-books’ increasing popularity in academic libraries. This review tracked literature published from 2005 that focused on academic librarians’ best practices for acquiring, cataloging, maintaining, and promoting e-books at their institutions. Some of these practices include implementing trial accesses, considering institutional requirements, providing an e-book presence in the library catalog, monitoring usage statistics, and utilizing the library Web site for promotional efforts.
Digital collections of full-text e-books are proliferating on the Web and provide a wealth of open content for students. To examine whether academic libraries are providing a digital gateway to these resources, ten e-book titles from open digital collections were searched in the online catalogs and Web pages of ten academic libraries serving distance learners. Only three of the digital collection e-books were available from any of the library catalogs, and none were found on library Web pages. Availability of the ten e-book titles through Google and other digital discovery tools also had mixed results. Continued projects for improved delivery of open online content are necessary. In order to fulfill their role as digital gateways for their academic communities, libraries must pursue metadata standards to support cross-searching, collaborative projects, and development of e-resource search software, which integrates with the library catalog.
Libraries supporting health sciences programs must periodically weed collections to remove outdated materials. Both print and e-book collections should be weeded. This article outlines the process Auburn Montgomery librarians followed to weed the NetLibrary e-book collection supporting the School of Nursing curriculum. The nursing courses are taught primarily online or as hybrid courses, increasing reliance on remotely accessible electronic resources. While this e-book weeding project is focused on a specific subject area and the number of e-books weeded is small, the basic method can be applied to larger e-book weeding projects in subject areas other than nursing.
The influx of Digital Natives into higher education, combined with the introduction of virtual learning environments as the primary means of interaction between students and universities, will have a transformational effect on learning and on library services. This article examines the e-book marketplace and the main UK responses to it (the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium's tender and the JISC e-books observatory project). Within this context, the innovative measures already taken by Bournemouth University are discussed, as are plans to develop innovative pedagogic frameworks and an e-reading strategy through a Higher Education Academy–funded pathfinder project: Innovative E-Learning with E-Resources (eRes).
Digitization of content generated by those in academia—be they professors, lecturers, or administrative staff—has had a significant impact on the amount of space needed for storage on college and university campuses. What this paper attempts to address is some of the emerging technologies used for the storage of digital content and how these technologies have evolved since their origin with the American Memory Project in 1989, which is widely credited with starting the digital revolution in storage that is commonplace in offices and centers of higher education throughout the United States. The library's role in developing electronic storage for their own archival materials has had an ancillary effect in the field of digitization. The advances made by some libraries in creating more expansive storage devices that hold content other than text has benefited those in other fields as well.
Since 2004, members of OhioLINK's Database Management and Standards Committee have worked together to produce and distribute bibliographic records for over 44,000 electronic books. Using historical evidence, as well as the personal experience of key personnel, this article examines the ways in which division of labor, cataloging standards, and procedures are negotiated within the consortium. Two case studies illustrate the ways in which cooperative e-book cataloging projects are created, developed, and adapted in response to changing circumstances. Challenges to current practices are discussed, and recommendations are offered to other libraries and consortia preparing to embark on cooperative cataloging projects.
This article describes the experiences of the University of Illinois at Chicago Library in integrating vendor-supplied records of electronic books into the local catalog. It further proposes guidelines for accepting outsourced catalog records into the catalog, examines unique cataloging challenges presented by this electronic format, and describes how the cataloging was done for some e-book collections when vendor-supplied catalog records were unavailable.
Librarians at the Arnold Bernhard Library of Quinnipiac University were at a crossroads with electronic reference books. At first they had added the titles to the library's web page, generated records to individual titles in the online catalog, and even established links to their content using the link resolver in the online catalog. It was still felt that the collection was not living up to its potential. In 2007, the automation librarian began a project to add one more level of access to these titles – a graphic interface that simulated the process of walking into a reference room and picking out a title – all of this done with no programming beyond basic HTML. Early usage reports beginning in the Fall of 2007 prove that the concept has found an audience.
This paper examines the content, currency, and usability of CRC Press's ENGnetBASE, a collection of engineering handbooks published in electronic format. CRC Press's editorial staff's responses to a set of questions on e‐content publication practices show that the print and electronic formats are published concurrently, print titles are not dropped from the database, and some CRC titles are released to other electronic book databases. The usage statistics from ENGnetBASE for Texas A&M indicate that users accessed the database from various locations, viewed titles throughout the day, and in many instances used the library catalog to access the titles. Best practices and lessons learned from this study include suggestions on how to maximize access to ENGnetBASE, such as by adding MARC records into the library catalog to provide an additional access point and by marketing to populations identified by the usage statistics.
Librarians at the Arnold Bernhard Library of Quinnipiac University were concerned with the usage levels of their electronic reference titles. They added the titles to the library's Web page, made individual records in the online catalog, and even established links between an OPAC keyword search and a search through electronic reference titles. It was still felt that the collection was underutilized. In 2007, the Automation Librarian began a project to add one more level of access to these titles—a graphic interface that simulated the process of walking into a reference room and picking out a title. A preliminary version was loaded in the Fall of 2007, and early results indicate that it has found an audience.
In 2009, the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) charged a task force to update and revise recommendations that address cataloging practice and catalog access to electronic resources for libraries participating in the I-Share union catalog. This article presents the results of a survey and recommendations developed by the 2009 Task Force that cover all types of e-resources. Issues covered include: single or separate records for electronic and print versions of a title; the use of aggregator-neutral and provider neutral records; the construction and placement of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and notes; and the use of vendor records.
Examines status of content on websites of libraries' belonging to Indian academic institutions. Establishes a method to measure Overall Website Performance Calculation (OWPC) and Criteria-wise Website Performance Calculation (CWPC) of library websites. Comparative study of 20 central universities and 19 institutes of national importance including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) academic libraries from India suggest that the library websites of institutes of national importance have better content awareness than central university library websites as per the identified criteria. The criteria studied would be helpful for librarians and webmasters to improve content awareness status of their library websites.
Purpose
– The purpose is to bring together all bibliographic references of the published literature on electronic books (e‐books) and related technologies in one source so that it will save time for others in conducting literature searches and reviewing the developments.
Design/methodology/approach
– The information included in this bibliography is collected systematically from all the published sources in the world such as journal articles, conference papers, conference proceedings, books, reports and PhD theses on e‐books until the last quarter of 2004. Mainly it covers e‐books, e‐books publishing, the impact of e‐books on different types of users, e‐book publishing techniques and trends, e‐book user interfaces and other technologies related to e‐publications.
Findings
– As computer usage continues to grow exponentially, the desire of users to use electronic publications (e‐publications) has also increased tremendously. This has led to the publication of materials in electronic form as e‐publications on both CD‐ROMs and web. The e‐book is one of the several forms of e‐publications and its popularity has been growing steadily for the past decade.
Originality/value
– This bibliography will be useful to all researchers conducting research in any areas related to e‐books and e‐book publishing.
This article presents the results from a recent survey into the provision of electronic books within academic libraries in the UK. Where relevant the results are supplemented by data from two other surveys concerned with e-book provision and electronic information services undertaken by the authors. Incidence of provision of e-books from individual publishers and through aggregators is reported. Reasons for non-provision and attitudes towards the medium are discussed, and issues concerned with bibliographical access are explored. The article concludes with a discussion of the role and influence of the E-book Working Group set up by the UK body responsible for networking and electronic resources in higher and further education: the Joint Information Services Committee (JISC).
Papers on the cataloging of electronic resources have focused on electronic journals and Internet resources such as Web sites and not on electronic books. Electronic books are nonserial monographic resources accessed with a computer either directly or remotely. Rules and standards for cataloging electronic resources have changed and continue to change. This article discusses the electronic book as a unique manifestation and provides practical instruction on the application of current cataloging rules. The cataloging elements covered are control fields and variable data fields, including classification, uniform titles, title information, edition information, type and extent of the resource, publication and distribution information, physical description, series statements, notes, and subject analysis.
Connecting users to the best available sources of legal information is one of the traditional functions of the law library. These sources now include Web sites, electronic journals, and subscription databases. This article explores the best way to bring these useful Internet resources to the attention of users, concentrating on the pros and cons of using the catalog or the home page.
Raymond Kurzweil proposed seven stages in the "life cycle of a technology." Libraries can use the technology life cycle concept to determine when to invest in newer technologies. Kurzweil gave no criteria for determining what stage a technology had achieved in the life cycle. This article will present a set of criteria to evaluate new technologies within the framework of the life cycle, demonstrating their applicability using Kurzweil's example of audio technology and then applying the criteria to current e-book technology.
This article will analyze the implications of e-book technology on academic libraries. Although we are at a very early stage of e-book evolution, business models, standards, and supporting technology are under development that will dramatically affect libraries and librarians. Librarians and administrators therefore must understand thoroughly these trends in order to apply effectively the resulting innovations within their institutions. As Martrell states, " . . . librarians must begin to design an imaginative, easily identifiable space in cyberspace as the centrality of the library as a physical phenomenon slowly fades." 1 Improving library service by extrapolation from existing services, doing the same things faster and better, will provide incremental improvements but will not move us quickly to that "identifiable space" of which Martrell writes.
This article focuses on the elucidation of vocabulary on library home pages. It examines the ability to communicate to diverse, remote users. Even a relatively low frequency of jargon is troublesome in view of the parsimony of the introductory home page. Nevertheless, Web developers should be sensitive to a variety of users and their dependency on this shell, which is the virtual gateway to a depth of information sources on subsequent Web pages. A variety of ways to elucidate library jargon is suggested.
For many years, catalogs have served as the gateway to library collections; our collections are inaccessible without them. This picture is rapidly changing with the current explosion of online resources. The new gateway is the World Wide Web. Should we attempt to accommodate the new resources in the old gateway? Libraries have struck various balances between what is accessed via their catalog versus their web site, but creating lists of online resources on the Web is always part of the solution. The author points out deficiencies of our catalogs that have led us to this point of creating a parallel "catalog" on our web sites. The author also offers some powerful reasons why focusing access on the Web makes sense now.
The shift from paper library reference works to electronic reference sources is discussed. Electronic reference sources offer powerful searching capabilities and easy access to multiple years of information. In today's Internet world, the library users have little patience with book materials which are either limited or over-complex.
In order for collection development librarians to justify the adoption of electronic books (e-books), they need to determine if e-books satisfy the information needs of patrons. One method to determine this is to measure e-book usage. This study compared the usage of 7,880 titles that were available in both print and e-book format at the Duke University Libraries. Although the results of this study cannot be generalized, it does provide information on the use of e-books in one academic research library and implications for e-book collection development.
Today's savvy library users are starting to equate the library Web site with the physical library. As they accomplish, virtually, many personal activities such as online shopping, banking, and news reading, they transfer those experiences to other activities in their lives. This increases their expectations about the functionality of a library Web site and how one interacts with it. The purpose of this study was twofold: to assess the usability of an academic library Web site and to better understand how faculty and students complete typical tasks using one. Thirty-three typical users successfully completed 75 percent of a set of typical tasks in about two minutes per task and were satisfied with the clarity and organization of the site. Despite their success in completing the tasks, however, they experienced difficulties in knowing where to start and with the site's information architecture - in particular, with interpreting the categories and their labels. The authors concluded that library Web sites fail to take into account how people approach the information problem and often reflect traditional library structures.
This article describes the e-book program of the University of Texas, surveys the state of the e-book market and e-book technology, provides e-book usage statistics for three different consortia, and offers guidelines for e-book acquisitions, as well as e-book issues to be considered. Relevant specification, standards, and working groups are explained, as are the future e-book plans of The University of Texas. The author concludes that e-books are to printed books, as television is to radio and movies: another format with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Have Internet search engines influenced the way students search library Web pages? The results of this usability study reveal that students consistently and frequently use the library Web site’s internal search engine to find information rather than navigating through pages. If students are searching rather than navigating, library Web page designers must make metadata and powerful search engines priorities. The study also shows that students have difficulty interpreting library terminology, experience confusion discerning difference amongst library resources, and prefer to seek human assistance when encountering problems online. These findings imply that library Web sites have not alleviated some of the basic and long-range problems that have challenged librarians in the past.
In conclusion, homepage construction based on structured programming concepts makes it simpler to build a functional homepage. It also assists in organization of the homepage and provides for easier maintenance and modification. Figure 3 contains an example of a simple home page which incorporates the principles outlined in this article. As more libraries create their own Web sites, use of structured organization can provide a framework for control over the many variables in this process.
This article reports the results of a study that used a pair of fifteen-item multiple-choice surveys to measure first- and second-year university student recognition of a select group of commonly used library terms. A total of 297 students responded. The results from the surveys indicate that commonly used terms such as plagiarism, reference services, re- search, copyright, and synonyms have high levels of recognition whereas library or computer-specific terms such as Boolean logic, bibliography, truncation, precision, and descriptor do not. The article includes a number of suggestions for overcoming this potential impediment to classroom communication. ave you ever aended a meet- ing, overheard a conversation, or observed a lecture in which the material was presented in a language you did not know or the presenter used undefined terms or con- cepts with which you generally were not familiar? For the author, this first occurred when he aended a trinational meeting with representatives of Germany and France in Paris. During the course of the three-day meeting, it quickly became apparent that the translators were unfa- miliar with the terms and concepts being used by the delegates. Unfortunately, it was not until the third day of the meet- ing that the translators had become conversant enough with the jargon being used to provide an effective translation service. For library patrons and students in the classroom, it is the librarian who must translate the jargon being used into information the students need.
This article follows-up on an earlier Library Hi Tech article on the e-book program at the University of Texas. It notes changes in usage that have occurred with the addition of e-book catalog records in the library online catalog, and changes in selection patterns as librarians have gained more experience with the e-book. It also surveys the current digital information environment, notes the increasing commodification of information, details the e-book efforts of the Association of American Publishers and examines potential future e-book directions.
Chapter 1, "Preliminary Issues," explores the historical importance of the electronic publishing revolution, some of the terminology to be used in the book, and the differences and similarities between traditional and electronic collection development. Chapter 2, "What Is an Offer? The Electronic Resources Landscape," covers the main issues that arise with electronic resources and the types of products available for purchase or subscription. Chapter 3, "E-Books and E-Journals," discusses the similarities and differences between e-journals and e-books, purchasing and using both products, the implications both have for collection developers, and some possible future trends in e-publishing of journals. Chapter 4, "What To Buy? Assessing and Acquiring the Dataset," looks at the life cycle of digital collection development, the need to formulate a collection development policy, establishing a budget, finding out about new products, evaluations and trials, model licenses, ordering the dataset, and administering the process. Chapter 5, "Delivering the Dataset," discusses the remaining stages of the life cycle of electronic collection development (e.g., cataloging, archiving, and advertising), steps that should be taken after a dataset has been purchased, the user's perspective, and a step-by-step approach to starting an electronic collection from scratch. A glossary, select bibliography, and index are included. (MES)
This article explores the potential and reality of using the academic library Web site to market library resources and services, for fundraising, and to market special events. It explores such issues as the placement of a link to academic libraries from institutional home pages and the use of a library Web site to include links to news, exhibits, programs, and fundraising. This article includes a survey of the Web sites of academic libraries that serve general undergraduate populations.
Many libraries are currently experiencing a transition from printed to electronic collections. This transition has led to changes in collection development practices as well as in the roles of information professionals who facilitate access to information. Roles of librarians in both public and technical/access services are converging. There is a demand for a new breed of librarians who understand the entire electronic information scenario: procurement, organization, access and public services. All these come into play when making decisions and choices for meeting users’ information needs. Libraries are addressing such issues as ownership versus access, consortial access to electronic resources, licensing and authentication, surrogate versus full-text electronic resources, and integration of free Web content into collections. Librarians are challenged to embrace new ways of optimizing access to electronic resources and to explore ways to fit new technologies and innovations into traditional library structures and practices.
The first SOLINET netLibrary Shared Collection duplicated numerous print books held by Louisiana State University. The library identified over 2,852 print/ebook equivalents in its catalog. Use statistics for both formats were collected monthly for a year. A t-test of the differences in the pairs' circulation found a low correlation. Ebook accesses followed the academic year. University press ebooks garnered a smaller share of accesses relative to title count than those of commercial publishers. Differences in format preference were found by subject and classification. Acquiring an ebook thus means something different for patrons than acquiring its print equivalent.
Purpose
The paper illustrates the experiences of both academic and support staff in the use of electronic books within a higher education setting. The case studies report upon practice at Edge Hill College of Higher Education, which has allowed for successful e‐book development strategies to be employed in teaching and learning within the college. The paper will deal particularly with e‐book marketing, implementation and evaluation strategies, as well as embedding e‐books into virtual learning environments (VLEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports upon two significant chapters within e‐book development at the college. The first of these is an initial evaluative e‐book research project, from which strategy and policy were formulated. The second part of the paper introduces case studies in which the findings of the initial research impact upon the embedding of e‐books into teaching and learning and subsequently into the college's VLE.
Findings
User evaluations provide qualitative analytic data into the benefits and disadvantages of using e‐books in higher education teaching and learning activity.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are limited to one particular higher education institution and specific curriculum areas within.
Originality/value
The evaluative data, as well as particular e‐book strategies identified, make the paper of value to those researching e‐book usage and activity, in particular within online learning.
The University of California's California Digital Library (CDL) formed an Ebook Task Force in August 2000 to evaluate academic libraries' experiences with electronic books (e-books), investigate the e-book market, and develop operating guidelines, principles and potential strategies for further exploration of the use of e-books at the University of California (UC). This article, based on the findings and recommendations of the Task Force Report [1], briefly summarizes task force findings, and outlines issues and recommendations for making e-books viable over the long term in the academic environment, based on the long-term goals of building strong research collections and providing high level services and collections to its users.
The analysis included forty-one academic health sciences library (HSL) Websites as captured in the first two weeks of January 2001. Home pages and persistent navigational tools (PNTs) were analyzed for layout, technology, and links, and other general site metrics were taken.
Websites were selected based on rank in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, with regional and resource libraries given preference on the basis that these libraries are recognized as leaders in their regions and would be the most reasonable source of standards for best practice. A three-page evaluation tool was developed based on previous similar studies. All forty-one sites were evaluated in four specific areas: library general information, Website aids and tools, library services, and electronic resources. Metrics taken for electronic resources included orientation of bibliographic databases alphabetically by title or by subject area and with links to specifically named databases.
Based on the results, a formula for determining obligatory links was developed, listing items that should appear on all academic HSL Web home pages and PNTs.
These obligatory links demonstrate a series of best practices that may be followed in the design and construction of academic HSL Websites.
The Catalog vs. The Home Page? Best Practices in Connecting to Online Resources The Vocabulary of Library Home Pages: An Influence on Diverse and Remote End-Users
- Georgia Briscoe
- Karen Selden
- Cheryl Rae Nyberg
Georgia Briscoe, Karen Selden, and Cheryl Rae Nyberg, " The Catalog vs. The Home Page?
Best Practices in Connecting to Online Resources, " Law Library Journal 95, no. 2 (2003): 151–74.
15. Mark A. Spivey, " The Vocabulary of Library Home Pages: An Influence on Diverse and
Remote End-Users, " Information Technology and Libraries 19, no. 3 (2000):151–56.
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