e-books in st. patrick’s college

E-books in St. Patrick’s College

A leap in a year

Liam O’DwyerSLA (Systems)

Context / BackgroundCollege of EducationCollege of DCU since 1993Two faculties – Humanities and EducationOver 2,500 students1,800 undergraduates approx. (1,200 B.Ed.)Increasing number of in-service students

Library & AcquisitionsLibrary Staff = 10.5 FTE (+ shelving

staff)

Acquisitions & Cataloguing = 1.5 FTESummer 2009 – review of

acquisitions policies & procedures

LibrarianAL (FT) AL (HT)

SLA (FT)

LA x 8 (FT)

Acquisitions Review 2009 Some outcomes:Supplier review & selectionDept fundsEVERYTHING THROUGH LMSA work in progress...

A BIG issue was undergraduate core texts…

Core TextsProblem: Requested in very high

numbers but unable to meet demand (quality review)

‘There are 400 in my year and sometimes we all need the same book…there just aren’t half enough.’

So…Limited multiple copy orders to 10

copiesCommitted to explore ebook

option…

DCU initiative helped awareness of format

but…core text issue gave particular priorities

Initial task - to decide which option in marketplace best met our needs.

Ebooks

CORE TITLE

ACCESS

Ebooks – assessing the marketplace

Ebooks – assessing the marketplaceTook longer than expected!Various

suppliers/aggregators/access models

Looked at other libraries (DCU)Eventually decided on Dawsonera

Why Dawsonera?Most suitable purchase & access model (for

us)

Single-title purchaseOne-off payment DRM approach

Simultaneous users

Stock Comparison Service – about 10% of our short loan collection available (125 titles)

Show me the Money – Stage 1Single-title purchase model gave

problem of how to establish collection.

Applied to Quality Promotion Unit awards for ‘start-up’ fund.

“Preference will be given to projects that potentially have a college-wide application. “ (QPU Application Guidelines)

Quality Promotion AwardsAnnual awards to value of €5,000.Typically shared between 3/4

applications.

Library a good fit for awards brief Previous successful Library

applications include funding for accessibility software & hardware, training equipment, DVD collection.

Fund ApplicationRanked titles from stock comparison

according to usage and stock levelsApplied for funding for ‘top 40’ titlesStressed increased availability &

access (an ‘add-on’ rather than ‘instead of’)

Target audience of undergraduates.

Fund Application “Many of our online resources

(journal databases, literary archives) are geared towards post-graduate and research students. As the proposed texts are books and ‘core’ materials, they will encourage a broader use of our online resources by including the College’s large undergraduate student body. In this way it would enable a greater utilisation of existing IT infrastructures”

April 2010 – Purchase & Launch40+ titles ordered, accessioned,

catalogued Ordered via EDIMARC records addedPrint books labelledPosters, emails, blog, Catalogue icon shortcut

April 2010 - We have lift off

After the Goldrush…stage 2Ebooks in acquisitions processes:

Multiple copy orders (>2) checked for availability

If available, requester ‘offered’ ebook option (with reduced print copies)

Now also checking Swets for other availability

User Response - StaffInitial purchase positiveAlmost all availed of ebook optionLiked ability to link from MoodleRequests for off-campus studentsNegative?Some apprehension re: reasons

for going ‘e’Confusion about availability

(Google Books)

User Response - StudentsPositive overall – want moreAwareness dependent on

lecturer/deptSome confusion re: how to

access & useBut they are being used…

Time-intensive Low ‘hit’ rate = invisible work &

lost timeDelay for new titles/editionsSome technical problems – adobe,

IPDRM limitations

◦clunky interface◦not for ‘front to back reading’ ◦not compatible with e-readers (yet)

Some Issues / Concerns

Concern about perpetuity & new formatsDid I mention DRM?http://readersbillofrights.info/

Publisher developmentshttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/business/media/15libraries.html?

_r=2&hp

Useful site - No Shelf Required Bloghttp://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/

Issues / Concerns

Overall Showed Library in a positive lightOffered solution to a particular

problemHaving a clear ‘why’ helpsSupport of academics importantNot ‘the’ way – just ‘another’

way…

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/03/back-story-books-vs-e-books.html

Thank Youliam.odwyer@spd.dcu.ie018842174http://www.spd.dcu.ie/library