From Paper to Bytes E-books in Academic Libraries Toni Raja-Hanhela Lapland University Consortium Library

Brief history of e-books

Where are we now? E-books are common resource for libraries They are found in catalogs but ”real” books are still preferred by our patrons Limited selection and poor mechanics to access them Access to books problematic, there’s not a standard for an e-book reader. Yet. Digital Rights Management (DRM) creates problems.

Problems Wide diversity in software and hardware  Lack of common platform Usability is poor because Wide range of pricing models Awareness in student and staff limited

E-books & e-readers E-readers (physical devices) – Dedicated readers eg. Kindle – Mobile devices eg. Phones, Pdas – Hybrid devices eg. iPad and other tablets E-books – Electronic version of book – Use depends on format, DRM, etc. – Is useful without e-reader but not vice versa

Usage scenarios Book Use online library catalog to find the book  go to a library  locate the book  borrow the book  go home  read the book E-book 1.0 Use online library catalog to find the book  Note that the book is available as e-book  Try to understand how to access and read the book.

E-book 2.0 Smart e-readers allow you to buy and borrow items directly from the device You can make notes on books and those notes are always available for you, on all your devices Social features integrated; book recommendations, shared notes etc.

New role for the library? Virtual collections Metadata even more important Experts in acquisition, we know what books our patrons need, and when they need them Books need to be available and discoverable Do we own e-books or rent them? E-books don’t wear down or get messy.

Competition? Summer 2011 Amazon.com started offerering students the possibility to rent books from their collection These books are available to read in e-book reader and all mobile devices as well. Students can make notes and other marking to the book, and those notes are their to keep.

Finally E-books are widening the definition of book – They are more versatile – Social elements, ”virtual study groups” Librarians and libraries are still needed, but our role may shift

Thank you! Questions?