Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Lending E-Readers: Legal? Ethical? Practical?, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Libraries of all types have taken the plunge of lending ebook readers to their patrons, yet controversy remains. As far back as 2007, the Sparta, N.J., Public Library was one of the first to dip its toes into then unknown waters (http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6533029.html). Many others have followed suit. In fact, Library Journal's 2011 "Ebook Penetration and Use" surveys (http://www.thedigitalshift.com/research/ebook-penetration) found that 12% of academic libraries, 15% of public libraries, and 17% of school libraries are lending e-readers. They lend Kindles, NOOKs, iPads, and Sony Readers of all shapes and sizes. Some are for classroom use, and …

Open Access Ebooks, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Libraries, faculty, and researchers around the world celebrated Open Access Week from Oct. 22 to 28, 2012. SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (www.arl.org/sparc). organizes the program, now in its sixth year. The celebration provides an international forum for sharing the benefits of open access and inspiring wider participation in the open access movement.

I decided to participate in Open Access Week 2012 by highlighting various open access ebook platforms on my blog, No Shelf Required (http:/ /libraries. wright .edu/noshelfrequired). In my research, I discovered a wealth of resources for open access books, many of them international in …

Bibliotheca Spices Up The Library Ebook Market, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Another ebook aggregator is about to enter the market, further whetting librarians' appetites and spicing up the market. This time, it is Bibliotheca, a global developer that supplies technologies designed to enhance library efficiency and the user experience (www.bibliotheca.com). More commonly known for its RFID and self-checkout systems, which it supplies to 3,000-plus libraries worldwide, Bibliotheca announced its intentions to support an open source ebook model in a press release on June 19, 2012, just before the American Library Association Annual Conference.

Trailblazers: Moving The Library Upstream In The Digital Distribution Process, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

On Dec. 20, 2010, Jamie LaRue, director of Douglas County Libraries (DCL), asked his associate director of Information technology, Monique Sendze, "Suppose a patron walked in and wanted to donate an ebook to our library. Could they?" Sendze responded, "No, I don't think so." "So, what do we have to do to be able to accept a book?" wondered LaRue. Sendze said she would find out.

It took 18 months and $100,000, but they found the answer together-locally hosting ebook content. LaRue, Sendze, and the DCL staff set out on a mission. A mission to own, not lease, electronic books. …

Ungluing Open Access Ebooks, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Buying a print book is relatively easy. With the introduction of library ebooks in 1999, however, a once-straightforward process took on many complexities. Before starting, ask yourself why your library needs to purchase ebooks. Is it to expand a collection or to increase the buying power of a group of libraries? To replace existing print collections, offer new services, or experiment with new business models in the hope of saving money? Whatever the reason, it is imperative to keep your goals in mind.

An Ebook Primer, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

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 …

Travel Apps, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Like many people, I love to travel. And doing so with my smart phone or tablet device allows me to keep information at my fingertips. Whether you are traveling to a local park, across the country, or internationally, there are a variety of apps to enhance your experience.

The Internet Archive's In-Library Lending Program, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Libraries bore the brunt of the growing pains of ebooks in 2011-from the HarperCollins Publishers announcement to limit use to 26 circulations to Penguin Group USA's abrupt withdrawal of content from OverDrive, Inc. to Amazon's facilitation of library downloads on Kindle devices. Many librarians realized the hard way that the benefits of ownership do not accrue in electronic formats. It's no wonder librarians everywhere are searching for fair, sustainable, ownership-based models to procure ebook content. Does this perfect solution exist?

It just might, in the form of the Internet Archive's In-Library Lending Program (http:/ /openlibrary.org/borrow)-a collection created by librarians for …

University Presses And Ebooks: A New Horizon, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

What's the buzz about? EBook Buzz, ONLINE's newest column, will discuss and debate the advances of ebooks in libraries and scholarly publishing. EBook Buzz will explore varied topics from a practical perspective, whether celebrating successes, exploring opportunities, or sorting through the challenges of ebook adoption. This inaugural column will explore the transformation to ebooks by university presses.

Academic library monograph budgets tell a bleak story. Discretionary funds and approval plans have slowly decreased, favoring instead subscription products and big deal journal collections. It's both alarming for librarians to watch and impossible for publishers to ignore. University presses, owners of the …

Reference--I'Ve Got An App For That!, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

These days, it seems there's an app for everything. So it should come as no surprise that several reference publishers are producing apps for Apple-and Android-based tablets and phones. Why should reference publishers develop apps? "Our focus is on helping libraries reach new users where they reside. We believe that one of the most effective ways to do this is through apps," says Nader Qaimari, senior vice president of marketing for Cengage Learning. Mike Robinson, e-book sales and marketing manager at Oxford University Press, agrees, stating, "Apps represent a means by which people all over the world are using devices …

Fall E-Reference Update, 2010 Part 2: E-Books, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Four years ago, RBB featured its first article comparing electronic reference aggregator and publisher interfaces, and a second article followed in the November 1, 2007, issue. Three years later, we are taking another detailed look at the e-book interfaces and offerings from reference publishers. Much has changed in three years, particularly with the interface features and access to content. Audio, video, flash_audio animations, Web 2.0 tools like bookmarking and note taking, access to content through the open web, and mobile devices and applications have all appeared, and continue to grow. A new word, discoverability, emerged as well: the ability for …

The Challenges Of New Editions, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

For years, reference publishers have provided new editions of print sources. In an electronic environment, some of the updating processes and access issues are presenting a new array of challenges. I'll discuss several of these challenges below, drawing on information gathered through an informal March 2011 survey of reference publishers and aggregators, including ABC-CLIO, EBSCO, Gale/Cengage Learning, M. E. Sharpe, Oxford University Press (OUP), Sage Reference, and Salem Press.

Dispatches From The Field. A Guide To Buying Ebooks, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Buying a print book is relatively easy. With the introduction of library ebooks in 1999, however, a once-straightforward process took on many complexities. Before starting, ask yourself why your library needs to purchase ebooks. Is it to expand a collection or to increase the buying power of a group of libraries? To replace existing print collections, offer new services, or experiment with new business models in the hope of saving money? Whatever the reason, it is imperative to keep your goals in mind.

E-Factor: How E-Books Are Making An Impact In Libraries, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Last summer, during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park, my nine year-old son asked how high the water from Old Faithful was spraying and why it was so hot and steamy. Armed with my smartphone and the Concise Encyclopedia Britannica app, I was able to touch, search, and give him the answers: 160 feet and magma. Did I need an e-book app on a mobile device to answer these questions for him? Probably not. A signpost or park ranger could have informed me, but the beauty lies in how I easily found the information at 7,359 feet in a …

Improving Library Services With E-Books, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Last month, during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park, my 9-year-old son asked how high the water from Old Faithful was spraying and why it was so hot and steamy. Armed with my smartphone and the Concise Encyclopedia Britannica application , I was able to touch, search, and tell: 160 feet high, and proximity to magma.

Did I need an e-book app on a mobile device to answer these questions for him? Probably not. A signpost or park ranger could have informed me, but the beauty of my solution was that I easily found the information at an altitude …

Ask The Aggregators, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Last November, I moderated a session at the Thirtieth Annual Charleston Conference called ''Ask an Aggregator." Panelists-Kevin Sayar, president of ebrary; Kari Paulson, president of EBL; Rich Rosy, vice president for library services at Ingram Digital; and Tim Collins, president of EBSCO-representing four e-book aggregators fielded a variety of questions from the audience. There were many similarities between the aggregators, each boasting a strong commitment to providing service, expanding title lists, and offering a variety of business models. One important thing I learned was the difficulty aggregators have in negotiating rights with publishers. Every time an aggregator wants to change …

Reference Works, From Idea To Reality, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

I've been reviewing reference books and databases for more than 10 years now, cracking the bindings on new titles, test-driving the interface features, and summarizing my impressions for reference librarians wanting the latest opinion on the newest content. I can't say that I spent much of that period processing the amount of time, effort, money, and personnel involved in bringing a multi-volume encyclopedia or online product" to fruition. At the 2010 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., however, I got a chance to stop and think about that, thanks to the program sponsored by Reference Books Bulletin.

Exploring Open Access E-Textbooks, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

In previous columns I've explored reference e-book platforms, distributors, and aggregators. This month I want to step out a bit further and explore open-access digital textbooks. I learned a lot about digital textbooks in February when I attended the O'Reilly Tools of Change (TOC) Conference. This conference discusses issues in publishing; one of these issues happened to be digital textbooks. The first question that often comes to mind when discussing open-access digital textbooks is, what are they? They share several characteristics: they are protected by the creative commons license by which content may be copied, shared, or changed so long …

Reference On The Web: Know Before You Go, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Last November I got the dreaded call. My travel agent for 10 years, the one who booked all my international flights, found children's fares, and helped me short-term lease a car in Belgium, was going out of business. Her business was yet another to disappear as the result of the plethora of self-service, fast, and convenient online travel sites like Expedia, Kayak, Priceline, and Travelocity, to name a few. Although I miss the personal touch of my travel agent, I do find that online travel sites are quite useful. There's certainly no lack of them, so selecting just a few …

Interactive Online Reference, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Last November I attended the 2009 Charleston Conference: "Issues in Book and Serial Acquisitions." E-content, licensing, business models, and a host of other issues were discussed. There were several presentations on reference, one in particular titled "Interactive Reference," presented by Tom Beyer, director of publishing at iFactory, and myself Part of the RDW Group, iFactory designs and engineers a variety of online products, including Sage Reference Online, Rosen's Teen Health 6-Wellness, and multiple Oxford products. During the presentation, Beyer discussed the state of online reference and the variety of interactive features that could be useful in the next-generation products. Beyer …

Encyclopedia.Com, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Fall is in the air-football, back-to-school activities, pumpkins, and the annual Reference Books Bulletin "Encyclopedia Update." This year we get to highlight a new encyclopedia. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, acquired HighBeam Research in December 2008, and with that acquisition, the ownership of a fabulous URL EncycLopedia.com, a free resource with more than half a million entries on a variety of topics. The best part? The information is from vetted reference sources. In fact, more than 200 dictionaries and encyclopedias are used to verify content on the site, with many more to follow. This is great news for librarians and …

Reference Universe, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

One of my favorite things about being a reference librarian is me reference collection. I love perusing the subject encyclopedias for unique content and enjoy watching my collection grow, both in prim and e-book formats. However, I find it difficult to keep up with the resources in this valuable collection. Luckily, I found a tool that not only helps me remember these great tides but unlocks them for me, exposing articles and ideas I may not have considered. My tool is Reference Universe, from Paratext, an index for the articles inside the reference collection, providing access points not found in …

E-Book Usage Data, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

I hear it all the time from a variety of librarians: not going to invest in e-books until I know they will get used." In fact, I hear it most from school librarians who are low on budget and don't want to invest in e-books without proof: from someone else's school system, that the investment will payoff. Luckily, usage data is available for e-book publisher and aggregator products, and this data can be mined in a variety of ways to determine use of the product or particular titles.

Patron-Driven Acquisition, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Patron-Driven Acquisition (PDA) is an e-book business model introduced by NetLibrary almost 10 years ago. The model was slow to develop over the years but has experienced a resurgence with programs from NetLibrary, Ingram Digital, and EBL. PDA stems from two traditional collection development principles—purchasing titles based on patron suggestions and establishing approval plans. The primary differences are that PDA is a business model strictly for e-books, and final selections are made by the patrons.

E-Book Distributors For The Public And School Library Markets, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

In the May 15 issue of Reference Books Bulletin, Off the Shelf provided an overview of three e-book aggregators with a focus on the academic library market. This column highlights Follett Digital Resources and OverDrive, two e-book distribution services for public and school libraries. Readers should also consult “The New NetLibrary,” on p.72.

The New Netlibrary, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

At nearly 10 years old, NetLibrary remains the largest e-content provider. Since being acquired by OCLC in 2002, it has made some major changes.

The Book Of Games: Strategy, Tactics And History (Review), Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

This article is a book review of "The Book of Games: Strategy, Tactics and History" by Jack Botermans.

A View From The Top, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

What is the forecast for reference publishing? Publishing executives have been engaged in this ongoing discussion, most recently at the Reference Books Bulletin Editorial Board program, "The Future of Electronic Reference Publishing: A View from the Top," at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. As a preview to the program, I asked four executives-John Barnes, executive vice president, Strategic Marketing and Business Development, Gale/Cengage Learning; Casper Grathwohl, vice president and publisher, Oxford University Press; Rolf Janke, vice president and publisher, Sage Reference; and Michael N. Ross, senior vice president, education general manager, Encyclopaedia Britannica-to answer a few questions about the …

E-Book Aggregators, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Like many librarians, you're beginning to purchase e-books from a variety of publishers, and you're confused by all the different licensing agreements, platforms, and pricing models. A solution to this madness? Use an e-book aggregator. Aggregators partner with multiple publishers to supply content and provide a platform for libraries and end users to search, order, access, and download the content on the Web. We'll focus here on three of the larger academic aggregators EBL, ebrary, and MyiLibrary. Ebooks Corporations EBL (Ebook Library) [http://www.eblib.com] partners with 250 academic and trade publishers, offering more than 85,000 titles. Ebrary [http:// www.ebrary.com] partners with …

Encyclopedia Of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes And Human Tragedies (Review), Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

This article is a book review of "Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies" by Angus M. Gunn.