Ebooks and School Libraries
editEbooks, both web-based and handheld readers, have become increasingly popular resources in American libraries. The ALA notes in an upcoming report that 52% of all public libraries had ebooks in 2007, a phenomenal increase of 25% from 2006.[1] The International Digital Publishing Forum (A trade and standards association) underscores the growth, stating that in 2007, U.S. sales alone came to tens of millions of dollars.[2]
This popularity does not necessarily herald the end of tradional books, however. As it turns out, ebooks not only look different from their print counterparts, they are used differently as well. Surveys published by both academics and digital content aggregators show a common use pattern:
- Ebook titles are used primarily as reference sources;
Ebook Reader - The search feature is used to quickly pinpoint information;
- The average session is 15 minutes.[3]
University Library Case Study
editThere are many reasons why a university library would want to invest in ebooks, primarily that they neatly resolve access issues: as a digital document, an ebook is available at anytime and any place with a computer and Internet access. And while the purchase price of the average title may not currently be appreciably lower than its print counterpart, the digital book does represent long term savings in replacement costs (an ebook can't be stolen, lost or damaged) and staffing (materials that check themselves in and out free up staff for other work). There is also a space savings since shelving is virtual.
Ebooks are also a boon to educational institutions. The College of Southern Idaho, for example, is able to reach out to a more isolated, rural population that can't easily get to the university library. One solution would have been to open libraries at each of the school's five satellite campuses. Another, more cost-effective solution was to invest in a virtual library that a geographically dispersed student population could consult from home. The library director notes that the collection is wildly popular, with use increasing well over 100% after the first year and students asking for more titles.[4]
Some Drawbacks
editAlthough the benefits of ebooks to an institution like CSI are undeniable, there are issues that neither that library, nor school libraries in general, have fully addressed. There is, for example, the lingering problem of the digital divide: those without computers or reliable (and inexpensive) Internet service have only limited access to ebooks. There is also the fact that they do not lend themselves to leisurely reading: they can only rarely be downloaded for offline use, so they have to be used in situ, seated in front of a computer. And there is a more philosophical issue to be addressed: as children of the Web 2.0 revolution, ebooks are fully searchable and linked to other sources. These are wonderful features, but they encourage a quick--and highly efficient--mining of a resource: all content is now reference content.
What happens when books, far from disappearing, find their use radically changed? What will happen to the experience of reading? Are ebooks helping to encourage reading and learning for their own sake, or are they simply a web source like any other, providing the educational equivalent of sound bites? What kind of impact will this have on the traditional mission of both libraries and schools to instill knowledge and encourage lifelong learning?
External Links
editWebsite of the College of Southern Idaho Library
Website of NetLibrary, the world's leading digital content provider
References
edit- ^ (May 2008). By the numbers. American Libraries, 39(5), 19. Retrieved July 15, 2008 from LISA database.
- ^ International Digital Publishing Forum (2008). "Wholesale Ebook Sales Statistics." Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://openebook.org/doc_library/industrystats.htm
- ^ NetLibrary (n.d.). “A Single source for full-text eBooks, eAudiobooks, eJournals and more.” Retrieved July 14, 2008 from http://www.oclc.org/services/brochures/211418leb_netlibrary.pdf
- ^ OCLC, Inc. (2006). “Idaho’s Fastest Growing Higher Education Institution Takes Learning Off-Campus.” Retrieved July 14, 2008 from http://www.oclc.org/services/brochures/12111O_NetLibrary_SouthernIdaho.pdf
- Chu, H. (2003). Electronic books: Viewpoints from users and potential users. Library Hi Tech, 21(3), 340-346.
- Lee, S. D., & Boyle, F. (2004). Building an electronic resource collection: A practical guide. 2nd ed. London: Facet.
- Levine-Clark, M. (2007). Electronic books and the humanities: A survey at the University of Denver. Collection Building, 26(1), 7-14.
- Rice, S. (June 2006). Own or rent? A survey of ebook Licensing models. Against the Grain, 18(3), 28-29.