The Digital Shift has an article by Sue Polanka which this title. Sue, known for her No Shelf Required blog, is Head, Reference & Instruction at Wright State University Libraries.
(Library Journal is presenting a series of articles, Exploring Ebook Options, that takes an indepth look at some of the ebook platforms that are now in the marketplace. Baker & Taylor’s Axis 360 and Freading from Library Ideas have already been profiled. This story provides an environmental scan.)
According to a survey conducted by the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) in the summer of 2011, 39 percent of public libraries had not begun to offer downloadable media service (ebooks, audiobooks, movies) to their communities. COSLA reported that small, rural libraries with limited budgets were most likely not to have access to downloadable media.
COSLA believes that ebooks will be the preferred format for reading materials in the future. As a result, it has set a goal for all U.S. public libraries to offer ebooks and downloadable media by 2015. As a step in that direction, LJ is publishing a series of articles that closely examines the various ebook platforms available, including this environmental scan.
Why buy ebooks?
There are a variety of reasons for purchasing ebooks, and the first is access. Offering ebooks extends content beyond the physical boundaries of the library. In a digital world, patrons aren’t restricted to brick-and-mortar hours. They can choose to download a new book late Sunday evening because content is available 24/7.
Furthermore, there has been an explosion of interest in ebooks and ereaders. The Pew Internet & American Life Project released research findings in January stating that “[t]he number of Americans owning at least one of these digital reading devices (tablets or ereaders) jumped from 18 percent in December to 29 percent in January.” This has put demands on public libraries for not only digital content but also technical support for downloading content to devices. LJ ’s 2011 survey of ebook penetration in U.S. public libraries found that 66 percent of the respondents had experienced a “dramatic” increase in requests for ebooks in the past year. Additionally, there is no physical space required for ebooks. Virtual bookshelves don’t require weeding and shifting. The fear of loss of or damage to content also diminishes.
That said, ebooks have just as many reasons not to be purchased. They are more expensive than print, and their use is restricted with digital rights management (DRM). Content is often leased rather than owned owing to vendor license agreements. Moreover, annual fees are often required to guarantee perpetual access to content. The business models are much different from print models. Often, they are unsustainable for public library budgets. Publisher content may not be available for library lending—Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Penguin Group (the last of which ended its OverDrive contract on February 9) do not sell ebooks to libraries or library vendors. In addition, Random House raised its prices on March 1, in some cases tripling the cost of an ebook for libraries. Ebooks also require technology in order for the user to read them. If readers in one’s community have no access to that technology—ereaders, tablet devices, smartphones, or personal computers—they will be shut out of the ebook environment.
(Via The Digital Shift.)
