SPEC Kit 313: E-book Collections · 69
Challenge 1 Challenge 2 Challenge 3
Lack of realistic Inter Library Loan
procedures.
Higher cost for some titles compared to
purchase of a single print copy.
Technical changes by the publisher or
platform provider that cause problems
in access on our campus network due to
authentication or the need to download
plugins.
Lack of use by readers who have to find
e-book in the catalog. There is currently
no way to search the catalog by e-book
format.
Lack of search functionality provided by
vendor /aggregator.
Difficulty accessing and downloading
e-book content.
Licenses Add-ons, readers Cost (often higher than print)
Maintaining consistent content. One of
the most frustrating things for us with
subscription packages is that publishers
can decide to pull content at any time
with no notice whatsoever. This makes
this an unreliable alternative for many of
our users, including both instructors and
researchers.
Confidence in the long-term access
of e-book content. Organizations like
Portico and LOCKKS are useful to some
degree, but when determining what
should be purchased, the concern over
a viable platform and what the costs
will be over the long-term for platform
access (and future retrieval) is a major
concern.
Cataloging records. They vary a great
deal in quality and consistency. They are
also difficult to manage, especially for
subscription packages when content
changes constantly.
Management of access PR/raising awareness of collections Usage tracking/monitoring -creating
reports
Monitoring access electronically by
platform and by title
Increased cost of purchasing Collection maintenance
Multiple e-book platforms and
acquisitions processes lead to confusion
for both Library users and staff.
Individual platforms have different limits
on printing, copy and paste, download.
Some require individual accounts or
the installation of browser plug-ins for
advanced features.
Turn-aways from single-user access
titles create access problems for larger
courses.
Multiple platforms badly designed
platforms.
Discoverability is uneven. Lag time
between publication of print and
appearance of electronic. Timely MARC
record availability.
Often restricted to single user.
Multiple platforms.
Multiple platforms/setup Limitations on printing- patrons get
really frustrated by this!
Promotion.
Not everything is digitized nor
do publishers provide print and e
simultaneously.
Some areas still prefer print for type of
use. Not easy to read extensive text not
check out for long periods.
ILL is a problem-can’t provide access to
whole book electronically.
Obtaining metadata Ability to download
Previous Page Next Page