Issues related to the adoption of e-books in academic libraries: a literature review

  • Michelle Kahn University of Cape Town
Keywords: E-books, academic libraries, South Africa, collection management

Abstract

While e-journals have successfully be integrated into library collections, the same cannot be said about e-books. In this paper, the obstacles to e-book adoption in academic libraries is discussed using a review of the English-language literature published over the period 2007 to 2013. Issues identified are the changing roles of libraries in the digital age; collection development strategies; complex e-book purchase models offered to libraries; questions of copyright, licensing and digital rights management; format considerations; and availability of hardware and software on which to read e-books. Libraries continue to face these challenges today.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Michelle Kahn, University of Cape Town
Lecturer, Library and Information Studies Centre

References

Abdullah, N. & Gibb, F. 2008. Students' attitudes towards e-books in a Scottish higher education institute: part one. Library review. 57(8): 593-605.

Anderson, R. 2008. Future-proofing the library: strategies for acquisitions, cataloging, and collection development. The serials librarian. 55(4): 560-567.

Anderson, R. 2009. Librarians and publishers in the eye of the format-migration storm. Information services & use. 29(4): 133-141.

Armstrong, C. & Lonsdale, R. 2009. E-book collection management in UK university libraries: focus groups report. London: JISC collections. Available: http://observatory.jiscebooks.org/reports/e-book-collection-management-in-uk-university-libraries-focus-groups-report/ [2012, August 1].

Bennett, S. 2009. Libraries and learning: a history of paradigm change. portal: libraries and the academy. 9(2): 181-197.

Blankfield, S. 2012. Towards a digital spine. Publishing research quarterly. 28: 79-92.

CILIP. Policy Department. 2012. Ebook acquisition and lending briefing: public, academic and research libraries. London: CILIP. Available: http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/policy/statements and briefings/Documents/E-book acquisition and lending by libraries - longer briefingv2.pdf [2012, September 19].

Clark, D.T. 2009. Lending Kindle e-book readers: first results from the Texas A&M University project. Collection building. 28(4): 146-149.

Collins, T. 2012. The current budget environment and its impact on libraries, publishers and vendors. Journal of library administration. 52(1): 18-35.

Crosetto, A. 2011. The use and preservation of e-books. In No shelf required: e-books in libraries. S. Polanka, Ed. Chicago: ALA. 125-134.

Dahlstrom, E. 2012. ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology. Louisville, Co.: EDUCAUSE Center for applied research. Available: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERS1208/ERS1208.pdf [2012, September 20].

Delquie, E. & Polanka, S. 2011. E-book standards. In No shelf required: e-books in libraries. S. Polanka, Ed. Chicago: ALA. 135-151.

Dewan, P. 2012. Are books becoming extinct in academic libraries? New library world. 113(1): 27-37.

Galbraith, J. 2011. E-books on the internet. In No shelf required: e-books in libraries. S. Polanka, Ed. Chicago: ALA. 1-18.

Gardiner, E. & Musto, R.G. 2010. The electronic book. In The Oxford companion to the book. M.F. Suarez, S.J. Woudhuysen & H.R. Woudhuysen, Eds. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 164-171.

Gomez, J. 2008. Print is dead: books in our digital age. New York: Macmillan.

Grimmelmann, J. 2011. The elephantine Google Books settlement. Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. 58(3): 701-724. Available: http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=james_grimmelmann [2013, February 13].

Intech. 2012. Assessing the role of librarians in an Open Access world. Rijeka, Croatia: Intech.

Janke, R. 2011. The future of academic book publishing: e-books and beyond. In No shelf required: e-books in libraries. S. Polanka, Ed. Chicago: ALA. 153-163.

Johnson, R. 2011. Purchasing options in patron-driven acquisitions. Against the grain. 23(3). Available: http://www.against-the-grain.com/2011/07/v23-3-purchasing-options-in-patron-driven-acquisitions [2012, August 14].

Johnson, S., Evensen, O.G., Gelfand, J., Lammers, G., Sipe, L. & Zilper, N. 2012. Key issues for e-resource collection development: a guide for libraries; draft. The Hague: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Joint, N. 2010. The electronic book: a transformational library technology? Library review. 59(2): 83-91.

Levine-Clark, M. 2011. Developing a model for long-term management of demand-driven acquisitions. Against the grain. 23(3). Available: http://www.against-the-grain.com/2011/07/v23-3-developing-a-model-for-long-term-management-of-demand-driven-acquisitions [2012, August 14].

Link, F.E. 2012. Are we there yet? An analysis of e-book equivalent coverage in highly-circulated titles at the College of New Jersey Library. Collection building. 31(4): 132-135.

Littman, J. & Connaway, L.S. 2004. A circulation analysis of print books and e-books in an academic research library. Library resources and technical services. 48(4): 256-262.

Masango, C.A. 2009. Understanding copyright in support of scholarship: some possible challenges to scholars and academic librarians in the digital environment? International journal of information management. 29(3): 232-236.

Medeiros, N. 2011. Cry not for books. OCLC systems & services. 27(2): 84-86.

Medeiros, N. 2012. King of the hill. OCLC systems & services. 28(2): 64-66.

Morris, S. & Sibert, L. 2011. Acquiring e-books. In No shelf required: e-books in libraries. S. Polanka, Ed. Chicago: ALA. 95-124.

Pooley, J. 2013. Digital rights management: downloads, downers and a call for PDF publishing. The guardian. 26 February. Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2013/feb/26/digital-rights-managment-pdf-books [2013, March 4].

Price, A.C. 2009. How to make a dollar out of fifteen cents: tips for electronic collection development. Collection building. 28(1): 31-34.

Price, K. 2011. E-books for free: finding, creating and managing freely available texts. In E-books in libraries: a practical guide. K. Price & V. Havergal, Eds. London: Facet. 53-67.

Rowlands, I., Nicholas, D., Huntington, P., Clark, D., Jamali, H. & Nicholas, T. 2009. JISC national e-books observatory project: key findings and recommendations - final report, November 2009. London: JISC collections.

Rowlands, I., Nicholas, D., Jamali, H.R. & Huntington, P. 2007. What do faculty and students really think about e-books? Aslib proceedings. 59(6): 489-511.

Schell, L. 2011. The academic library e-book. In No shelf required: e-books in libraries. S. Polanka, Ed. Chicago: ALA. 75-93.

Schroeder, R. 2012. When patrons call the shots: patron-driven acquisition at Brigham Young University. Collection building. 31(1): 11-14.

Schroeder, R. & Wright, T. 2011. Electronic books: a call for effective business models. New library world. 112(5): 215-221.

Smith, S.A. 2011. PDA: Driving off the cliff or, new wine in old bottles. Against the grain. 23(3). Available: http://www.against-the-grain.com/2011/07/v23-3-op-ed-notes-from-mosier [2012, August 15].

Tees, T. 2010. Ereaders in academic libraries: a literature review. The Australian library journal: journal of the Australian Library and Information Association. 59(4): 180-186.

Thompson, J.B. 2005. Books in the digital age: the transformation of academic and higher education publishing in Britain and the United States. Cambridge: Polity.

Tucker, J.C. 2012. Ebook collection analysis: subject and publisher trends. Collection building. 31(2): 40-47.

Vasileiou, M., Hartley, R. & Rowley, J. 2012. Choosing e-books: a perspective from academic libraries. Online information review. 36(1): 21-39.

Vasileiou, M., Rowley, J. & Hartley, R. 2012. The e-book management framework: the management of e-books in academic libraries and its challenges. Library & information science research. 34: 282-291.

Wexelbaum, R. & Miltenoff, P. 2012. Challenges to e-reader adoption in academic libraries. The reference librarian. 53(3):270-283.

Wilkie, T. 2012. Librarians and publishers still have problems with e-books. Research information. 20 August. Available: http://www.researchinformation.info/news/news_story.php?news_id=992 [2012, November 29].

Zhao, S. & Zhao, W. 2010. Addressing the challenge: cataloguing electronic books in academic libraries. Evidence based library & information practice. 5(1): 93-103.

Zimerman, M. 2011. E-readers in an academic library setting. Library hi tech. 29(1): 91-108.

Published
2014-01-26
Section
Research Articles