SPEC Kit 313: E-book Collections · 71
Challenge 1 Challenge 2 Challenge 3
Simultaneous users Loading MARC records in library catalog Need for standardized access
Single point of access to browse e-books
from multiple platforms
What does ownership mean over the
long term — 5 years, 10, longer? —
and overall costs for maintaining a
collection.
User adoption of e-books despite DRM
restrictions, varying functionality of
platforms
Some publishers still release print
versions far ahead of the e-version. If
we’ve already purchased the print we
will not by the e-version unless its very
high use (or as a replacement copy).
Variety of purchase models same title
offered as part of different collections
Marketing to users
Sorting out access after a vendor
abandons a product (Dekker e-books)
Directing users to proper access path Disappearing content
State budget Digital rights restrictions on printing
copy/paste
Multiple platforms from multiple
publishers
Technical support Budget Budget
The economic model for individual titles:
costs (often 150% of the cost of a paper
book), there are no discounts
Ordering an e-book is more complex
and time consuming than ordering a
paper book.
Collections of current imprints in an
e-book format contain too many titles
that do not interest my library.
Usability (interfaces, printing, Section
508, etc.)
Discoverability (no good equivalent to
physical browsing)
Licensing -initially more complicated to
acquire than print books. User education
-how to incorporate e-books into
course management systems Costs
User acceptance of e-book format. Timely availability of front list titles. Selection, acquisition, and cataloging
require new workflow design, and
workflows vary by publisher and vendor.
Challenge 4: Digital rights management
restricting usage.
Varies by discipline. In-hand print
monographs still preferred by many,
especially in the humanities and social
sciences.
Limitations on printing and
downloading.
Paying for content and losing it if we
cancel our subscription paying twice for
content (paper and then print).
Vendors that require loading plug-ins. Types and quality of collections
available we can’t cover all subject
areas, particularly the arts, math,
engineering.
Ease of use (or lack thereof) for our
users.
When there are restrictions on sharing. Impermanence when we don’t have
archival rights.
Proprietary readers make it difficult to
implement on public stations.
Working with vendor-supplied MARC
records. Some do not follow standards.
Some records are not available for
existing e-books.
Educating the faculty about using
e-books in courses. Many are not aware
of the fact that some e-books may only
be accessed by one person at a time.
Determining which platform to use for
acquiring individual e-books through our
primary book vendor.
Challenge 1 Challenge 2 Challenge 3
Simultaneous users Loading MARC records in library catalog Need for standardized access
Single point of access to browse e-books
from multiple platforms
What does ownership mean over the
long term — 5 years, 10, longer? —
and overall costs for maintaining a
collection.
User adoption of e-books despite DRM
restrictions, varying functionality of
platforms
Some publishers still release print
versions far ahead of the e-version. If
we’ve already purchased the print we
will not by the e-version unless its very
high use (or as a replacement copy).
Variety of purchase models same title
offered as part of different collections
Marketing to users
Sorting out access after a vendor
abandons a product (Dekker e-books)
Directing users to proper access path Disappearing content
State budget Digital rights restrictions on printing
copy/paste
Multiple platforms from multiple
publishers
Technical support Budget Budget
The economic model for individual titles:
costs (often 150% of the cost of a paper
book), there are no discounts
Ordering an e-book is more complex
and time consuming than ordering a
paper book.
Collections of current imprints in an
e-book format contain too many titles
that do not interest my library.
Usability (interfaces, printing, Section
508, etc.)
Discoverability (no good equivalent to
physical browsing)
Licensing -initially more complicated to
acquire than print books. User education
-how to incorporate e-books into
course management systems Costs
User acceptance of e-book format. Timely availability of front list titles. Selection, acquisition, and cataloging
require new workflow design, and
workflows vary by publisher and vendor.
Challenge 4: Digital rights management
restricting usage.
Varies by discipline. In-hand print
monographs still preferred by many,
especially in the humanities and social
sciences.
Limitations on printing and
downloading.
Paying for content and losing it if we
cancel our subscription paying twice for
content (paper and then print).
Vendors that require loading plug-ins. Types and quality of collections
available we can’t cover all subject
areas, particularly the arts, math,
engineering.
Ease of use (or lack thereof) for our
users.
When there are restrictions on sharing. Impermanence when we don’t have
archival rights.
Proprietary readers make it difficult to
implement on public stations.
Working with vendor-supplied MARC
records. Some do not follow standards.
Some records are not available for
existing e-books.
Educating the faculty about using
e-books in courses. Many are not aware
of the fact that some e-books may only
be accessed by one person at a time.
Determining which platform to use for
acquiring individual e-books through our
primary book vendor.
