Search results

This paper, a case study with research implications, analyzes ebook use and users, focusing on ProQuest’s Electronic Book Library (EBL) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The purpose of this paper is to understand ebook user attributes and behaviors in the context of print books and other eresources; to examine usage of EBL ebooks and print materials; and to explore differences between users of ebooks and print books.

The methodologies of the study are MINES for Libraries® implemented through EZproxy and an analysis of users and usage of EBL ebooks compared to print books based in part on the set of books available to the UMass community in both formats.

Undergraduates use print more often compared to graduate and faculty users. Among all uses of overlap materials in which materials are available in both formats, EBL and print, we find more print use. In all, 40 percent of EBL users did not check out any print library books, which would indicate that EBL created new users and new circulation that would not have otherwise occurred in print. Further, the findings show little difference by gender and ethnicity in the use of ebooks and print books and little evidence of lagging adoption of ebooks by faculty. When compared to campus-wide demographics, women and students of color use both print and ebooks in higher than expected rates.

Subject analysis of ebooks and print book usage and users by school or college are explored, highlighting differences between the two formats in certain subjects.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a pilot program at Dickinson College where select reserve books for a class were purchased as ebooks and linked through the course management system. The paper aims to shares the results of survey data, a focus group session, and usage statistics to evaluate the pilot.

The study uses mixed methods with survey, focus group, and usage analysis.

The study found a much higher use of ebooks over print reserves. The survey and focus group responses also found a relatively high student satisfaction with the use of ebooks, despite some reported use problems.

The results of this study offer academic libraries a new idea to consider for ebook purchases. The paper also highlights important issues to consider if purchasing ebooks to replace print reserve books.

This is the first study to evaluate student attitudes and use of ebook “reserve” materials.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss reading habits in relation to printed books and eBooks.

The study was structured in two steps: first, an online survey was used to trace a general profile of a group of Brazilian readers who had had previous contact with digital books. Second, a subset of respondents was invited to participate in open-ended interviews. Interviewees were chosen according to their responses to the profiling questionnaire. All interviews were semi-structured.

The results indicate the existence of a synergy between digital and paper books. The decision between reading one or the other depends on several factors, amongst which the authors emphasise online accessibility, reading motivation (for work or for leisure), intended modes of use and appropriation, circumstances of use and emotional factors. Other elements of importance are the corporeality of the readers and the materiality of the devices used for reading.

The departure point of the study was the perception that, in Brazil, the arrival of digital books was accompanied by an increase in the sales of printed books. This contradicts the idea that digital books and printed books are concurrent, and the growth of the eBooks market will inevitably lead to a decrease in the revenue from printed books. The initial hypothesis was that digital and printed books could be complementary. Addressing this question required knowledge of readers’ experience with and opinion of printed and digital books. The results of the qualitative study suggest that the relation between these two types of publication is not one of alternatives, but instead is one of synergy. Specific aspects of this synergy are highlighted in the paper.

The purpose of this paper is to find out whether eBooks are cannibalizing print books, as well as an assessment of factors that are influencing eBook usage. Ebooks are a hot topic. Traditional book publishing, especially in the academic world, is changing at a rapid pace. The question on everybody's mind is what direction book publishing will take? Will print survive in the Google‐generation, or is it destined to be totally replaced by eBooks? Springer publishes over 4,000 book titles annually, which are converted into eBooks almost without exception. Being the market leader and innovator of a new business model in electronic books in the STM area, Springer has conducted a study on the implications of the Springer eBook collection in comparison to its print book activities.

The study is based on interviews with both end‐users and librarians. In addition, Springer has assessed the (COUNTER‐compliant) usage statistics from SpringerLink.

Overall, Springer's eBook usage is already 50 percent of its journal usage, while the amount of content compared with journals is only 15 percent. Taking this success of eBook usage into account, Springer still believes strongly in the print model, and has recently launched MyCopy: heavily discounted print‐on‐demand books from the electronic versions.

The study shows that print and electronic can exist together, and will complement each other's strengths.

The purpose of this study is to investigate if and how government intervention can nudge students to become ebook readers.

A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 1,144 students from four middle and high schools in urban and rural areas of Indonesia participated in this study. The results from statistical analyses were further discussed through the lens of the nudge theory.

This paper founds evidence that government intervention in the form of the Buku Sekolah Elektronik (BSE) policy that has been providing free electronic textbooks for more than a decade can help nudge students to become ebook readers. After controlling for student’s demographic information, this paper founds that their awareness of such a policy is significantly associated with a stronger preference toward ebooks while having no significant effect on their preferences toward printed book format. This paper also founds that mobile device adoption plays an important role where early adopters tend to prefer ebook format, whereas laggards are more associated with printed book format.

Many have studied the benefits of using ebooks in learning, but the literature also shows that most students still prefer reading printed books over ebooks. This is true not only in developing countries where problems with infrastructures can hamper the adoption of ebooks in general but also in developed countries where ebooks are much more prevalent, even among the general population. This paper showed how government interventions have the potency to help tip the scales and nudge students to become ebook readers.

The purpose of this study is to examine the diffusion of ebooks among postgraduate students in arts and technology faculties of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Electronic books have become increasingly popular in recent years, but factors influencing their adoption and use are not understood in many institutions.

Guided by a sample survey design, data were collected from 1,518 postgraduate students, 438 from the arts and 1,080 from technology, using a questionnaire and an interview schedule.

Students from both faculties used ebooks, identified through serendipitous browsing of the internet, and mainly Google searching. Many of the ebooks they find are not recommended by their lecturers, while those that are recommended are not available free of charge. Students therefore use ebooks mainly to cross-validate and gain extra insights about what they have been taught. There are significant differences between arts and technology students ' use of ebooks with respect to cost, ease of use and other aspects, with technology students having the advantage. There is no programme in the university aimed at harvesting and organising ebook resources for students to access.

The study focused on only one institution.

Institutionalising ebooks could be a useful strategy to address the dearth of current and relevant texts in universities, although ebooks may pose challenges to existing library management processes.

An ebook revolution will cause great changes in information services in libraries – how would university libraries partner to benchmark this evolving practice with respect to questions about standards, technologies, licensing and pricing, particularly in the developing world?

There is no empirical study on this subject matter either in the University used in the study or in any other.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate and discuss some of the commonly held misconceptions about using and managing eBooks in academic research libraries and to outline what skills, abilities and knowledge are required of librarians and other library staff who work with eBooks. eBooks are an important presence in the vast majority of academic libraries. It is reasonable to expect that this presence will increase in the years to come. The value of eBooks to many students, faculty and researchers is undeniable and their availability has created new learning and teaching opportunities which were not possible with print-only library collection.

eBooks bring multiple benefits to the academic environment.

eBooks provide portable information resources for students and researchers doing fieldwork. eBooks have the potential for relieving pressure on space in some libraries. Some eBook platforms offer students new and enhanced ways for interacting with library materials, including accessibility features.

The addition of eBooks to academic library collections addresses a growing preference among some patrons for information in electronic format.

This study aims to highlight practical considerations to be made when choosing an eBook package for an institution. Many academic libraries purchase eBooks bundled in packages, either as a time- or cost-saving measure or to build a new subject collection.

The authors searched the Web sites of six major publishers for information on eBook packages, including subject coverage, digital rights management restrictions and usage allowances. The analysis also includes a potential overlap between related subject collections and the ability to purchase titles individually.

Usage allowances, digital rights management restrictions and purchasing options vary considerably from publisher to publisher. There was title overlap between related subject packages found in some publishers. In response to user preferences and needs, many publishers are loosening restrictions on their eBook content, which make purchasing packages a more attractive option for libraries.

The landscape of eBook publishing is rapidly changing, which can complicate purchasing decisions. The detailed comparison provided by this study can be used to assist collections developers in making purchasing decisions best suited to their library and avoiding pitfalls such as duplicate purchases.

This paper aims to provide an assessment of an ebook collection in an academic library, and attempts to locate usage trends by subject and publisher.

The research was based on: three years of usage data from two e‐book packages: NetLibrary and Ebrary; two methods of purchase: NetLibrary was a one‐time purchase; Ebrary is purchased on a subscription basis. The research evaluated usage difference over time between the two packages and analyzed subject and publisher usage.

The research found that Ebrary showed increased usage over time; NetLibrary demonstrated decreased usage; subject analysis showed ebooks in health sciences and hotel had highest usage; publisher analysis results illustrated the fact that five publishers had highest usage in both ebook collections.

For circulation rate of each ebook package, two years of data were not available for Ebrary, resulting in incomplete comparison over three‐year period between the two packages.

The paper assists in identifying usage patterns of ebooks across publishers and subjects; compares two different business models of obtaining ebooks; and helps with effective selection of ebooks to support teaching and learning.

Usage data over three years provided evidence to help libraries select a business model for acquiring ebooks; the research provides assessment of ebook collections to identify trends across publishers and subjects.

The purpose of this paper is to encourage reference librarians to utilize eBooks to their advantage at the reference desk, for point of need and collection development purposes.

An overview of eBook utility at the reference desk and strategies for dealing with their shortcomings are provided. The collection development and collection management of eBooks are also discussed. A survey of first‐year college students provides a current projection of usage.

The paper notes that eBooks are well‐utilized by patrons in academic libraries and offer several conveniences.

Reference librarians may find this information helpful in serving their on‐ and off‐campus patrons.

This paper outlines “talking points” for the utilization, promotion, and collection development of eBooks.