SPEC Kit 313: E-book Collections  ·  55
Please enter any additional comments on e-book reading equipment at your library. N=10
At this time we are still at the mercy of suppliers as far as format for e-books, so we are not going to try to make the
content available on all devices unless that is supported by the publishers.
Considering lending out some Kindles.
Our plan is to collect e-books that don’t require special readers or other equipment. We plan to get items that can
readily be used from one’s personal computer.
Studying this as a possible future service.
The type of equipment used is largely determined by the abilities of the individual product. Our only requirement is
that it be usable on a standard PC/laptop via a Web browser.
Through a partnership with Cleveland Public Library, they supply leisure reading materials to Kelvin Smith Library.
Included in this collection are Playaway digital audio books that are self-playing, portable, and pre-loaded.
We currently are experimenting with an in-house Kindle and are looking at additional devices. Consideration is being
given to purchasing some for loan.
We do check out laptops that can be used to access our e-book collection.
We have a Kindle now, but we are not at the point of actively lending them yet.
We would love to be able to loan Kindles; we are highly annoyed that two major interfaces, ebrary and NetLibrary, do
not work well with MACS or handhelds.
23. Have users expressed any preferences for type of e-book reading equipment? N=59
Yes 9 15%
No 50 85%
If yes, please explain.
For our medical students and users in related or other areas, access via PDA or other handhelds is key.
I have heard that a few have asked about e-books for Kindle readers.
If I may broaden the definition of ‘equipment,’ the vast majority of our e-books are accessed from computer
workstations (either in the library or personal machines). The expressions we have heard are not about hardware
but the various e-book reader platforms. NetLibrary is widely reviled by students — almost certainly because of
the inconvenience for printing from that platform — and the single-user limitation on NetLibrary collection titles (a
consortial purchase limitation, and some of our earliest purchases).
Mobile.
Preferences vary with the individual and the pace of technology.