[CALIBK12] [CSLA Research Update] Library use of ebooks

[Lesley Farmer]

Data in the report is based on a survey of 75 academic, public and
special libraries. Librarians detail their plans on how they plan to
develop their e-book collections, what they think of e-book readers and
software, and which e-book aggregators and publishers appeal to them
most and why. Other issues covered include: library production of
e-books and collection digitization, e-book collection information
literacy efforts, use of e-books in course reserves and inter-library
loan, e-book pricing and inflation issues, acquisition sources and
strategies for e-books and other issues of concern to libraries and
book publishers. Some of the report's findings are that:Well over 81%
of the sample cataloged their e-book collection and listed it in their
online library catalog. For the most part, librarians in the sample
felt that their patrons were less skilled in using e-book collections
than they were in using databases of magazine, newspaper and journal
articles. The libraries in the sample had MARC records for a mean of
approximately 74% of the e-books in their collections. Many libraries
reported significant use of electronic directories. 12.5% reported
extensive use and 30% said that use was significant. The larger
libraries reported the heaviest use. Use of e-books in the hard
sciences was particularly high. More than 30% of participants said that
use of e-books in the hard sciences (defined as chemistry, physics and
biology) was quite extensive and another 26% noted significant use.
Libraries in the sample maintained a print version for a mean of 24% of
the e-books in their e-book collections. Nearly 21% of the libraries in
our sample have digitized out-of-copyright books in their collections
in order to make their contents more available to their patrons.
Libraries in the sample expect to renew a mean of 77% of their current
e-book contract. E-book spending grew rapidly in 2008 but slowed
significantly from 2007 growth rates. E-books account for only about
3.9% of the books on course reserve, with a minimum of 0 to a maximum
of 30%. Nearly 70% of the sample's total spending on e-books was with
aggregators, while just over 24.6% of the total spending was spent with
individual publishers.Primary Research Group. (2008). Library Use of
E-books. New York: Author.www.PrimaryResearch.com costs

--
Posted By Lesley Farmer to CSLA Research Update at 5/22/2008 03:51:00 PM
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.sjsu.edu/pipermail/calibk12/attachments/20080522/4358d84f/attachment.html