Electronic books: a call for effective business models
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assert that, in an effort to more effectively match users' needs to purchases and extend the buying power of library budgets for e‐books, libraries should use a profiled purchase on demand option to supplement their current practices.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews usage patterns for print and e‐books, business models for e‐books and comments on the benefits of using a patron‐driven acquisitions model.Findings – Circulation of the print collection is slowly declining, with only 20 per cent of the collection circulating in 2009. Large purchased collections of e‐books statistics are roughly the same but those purchased through Patron‐Driven Acquisitions are assured use.Originality/value – The discussion of current business models for e‐books illustrates some challenges libraries face in transitioning from print to electronic. Patron‐driven models allow libraries to help users at point of need and manage scarce resources.
E-books in academic libraries
Purpose – This paper provides an analysis of the current state‐of‐the‐art in e‐books, and attempts both to set the scene and provide reasons for their low uptake.Design/methodology/approach – The different approaches to e‐books of academic librarians, authors, publishers and readers are considered, using the results of a recent survey commissioned by the Joint Information Systems Committee.Findings – The findings of this study make it clear that those who know about e‐books see them as potentially useful tools. However, a number of users of ICT resources are still unaware of e‐books even when their academic libraries' e‐book holdings is high. The lack of promotion from within the university, particularly from the academics, and to a certain extent from the librarians, is indeed a major reason for this knowledge gap.Practical implications – Publishers, e‐book providers and aggregators, academics and intermediaries (i.e. librarians and information specialists) should concentrate on raising awareness of what...
The Role of the Center for Research Libraries in the History and Future of Cooperative Collection Development
Abstract Almost fifty years ago, when the organization that now is the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) was founded, university and research libraries were facing issues similar to those challenging them today: lack of space in libraries to shelve growing collections; new library materials formats to absorb into acquisitions budgets; more or more expensive research materials to which patrons needed access. In 1949, higher education looked for solutions in cooperative programs. CRL evolved as a unique endeavor-a program for cooperative collection development and a library that acquires and makes available essential research materials. CRL has endured because of its members' commitment, the gradual building of a unique, centralized library collection, and the organization's capacity to serve as a coordinator for cooperative decisions and implementation of programs. These strengths will support CRL into the future.