The Strategies of Taiwan E-book Consortia - A Case Study of 2007

Chinese E-books Consortium

Kun-Huang Huarng Hui-Chuan Winnie Wang

Feng Chia University Library3 June 2008

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Outline of Presentation• Background

• 2005 Super eBook Consortium, Cicada

• 2007 Chinese E-books Consortium • 2007 Questionnaire Survey Analysis

• Key Findings

• Suggestions

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Background• Electronic journals and electronic books

are growing rapidly.

• The budgets of the university libraries cannot catch the growth of prices.

• Consortium collective purchase and resource sharing to acquire a critical mass of e-books.

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The First e-Book Consortium in Taiwan

• Taiwan E-Book Network (TEBNET) was founded in 2001 by Feng Chia University, as the first e-book consortium in Taiwan.

• In 2002, TEBNET completed the first collective purchase and resource sharing consortium in Taiwan.

• 21 member libraries purchased 7,128 netLibrary e-book titles , in addition to 3,404 free-access e-book titles. Hence, there are 10,532 titles in total.

• The price of each title is reduced from US$56.24 to US$2.46.

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2005 Super eBook Consortium, Cicada

• 42 academic libraries in Taiwan and 6 university libraries in Hong Kong joined together to achieve a procurement of largest amount of up to US$3.35million.

• Cicada has significantly helped its members to access 42,091 titles / 51,901 volumes of professional and academic e-books with perpetual ownership.

• The average price of each e-book is reduced to below US$1.

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Strategies of the 2007 Chinese E-books Consortium

• The target is Chinese e-books.• To make use of the consortium collective purchase

and reduce the human resources cost• Collective purchasing power and shared access e-

books with perpetual ownership.• To make use of collective acquisitions to improve

the the depth and width of the member’s collection.• Negotiate with vendor and acquire consortium’s

shared access to six copies.• NT$ 500,000 / Nonmember, NT$ 470,000/Member

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Effectiveness of the 2007 Chinese E-books Consortium

• 41 libraries in Taiwan joined the consortium

• Shared access to 32,960 titles of academic Chinese e-books with perpetual ownership.

• The average price of each title is NT$15.

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2007 Chinese E-books Consortium questionnaire survey analysis

• Based on the 2005 Cicada’s perspective study prepared by Run Run Shaw Library, City University of Hong Kong.

• To collect opinions from member libraries that participated in the 2007 Chinese E-books Consortium on the following aspects: 1. Cost benefit analysis2. Current trends of collection development policy on e-book collection 3. Projected trends for e-book collection4. Assessment of the consortium development process

• 41 questionnaires were distributed, 39 valid questionnaires were returned, with a return rate of 95%

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Cost benefit of e-Book consortium

• Five aspects, including:

– Price

– Collection Development

– Technical Services

– User Services– Other reasons (such as it infrastructure,

staff development, e-learning etc.)

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PriceStatements Strongly

Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

1 The discount is favorable 54% 46% 0% 0% 0%2 The purchasing power is

strong 64% 36% 0% 0% 0%

3 The unit price of this consortium is relatively lower

51% 44% 5% 0% 0%

4 The unit price of this consortium is more attractive

43% 51% 5% 0% 0%

5 Joining this consortium can help reduce the unit price of e-book and minimize the risks of purchasing e-books

28% 59% 12% 0% 0%

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Collection developmentStatements Strongly

Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

1 The number of sharable titles is significant

69% 31% 0% 0% 0%

2 Help improve the collection’s quality and quantity

25% 67% 5% 3% 0%

3 Help strengthen the Chinese book collection of your library

25% 64% 8% 3% 0%

4 Help strengthen the electronic book collection of your library

59% 38% 3% 0% 0%

5 Help increase the collection size of your library within a short period of time

56% 38% 3% 3% 0%

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Technical Services Statements Strongly

Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

1 Reduce the administrative cost for technical services processing (including negotiation, bidding and sign contract)

64% 33% 3% 0% 0%

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User Services Statements Strongly

Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

1 Provide better user services as more e-books can be used around the clock, 24 by 7

44% 44% 12% 0% 0%

2 users will be more accustomed to use e-books and reshape the usage patterns

13% 56% 23% 8% 0%

3 Result in buying less printed books and hence can save stack space

49% 33% 15% 0% 3%

4 Help alleviate workload pressure on circulation staff

33% 44% 18% 5% 0%

5 Help alleviate workload pressure on interlibrary loans

18% 36% 33% 13% 0%

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Other reasonsStatements Strongly

Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

1 Enhance collaborative relationships with other libraries

28% 59% 13% 0% 0%

2 Strengthen staff development by involving library staff in the consortium

20% 49% 26% 5% 0%

3 Infrastructure of library is well developed and broadband Internet access is easily available among the students

31% 56% 13% 0% 0%

4 Help support e-learning development in your university

13% 54% 33% 0% 0%

5 Help enhance library services to branch libraries

13% 43% 41% 3% 0%

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Current collection development policy

on electronic books Collection development policy on

English electronic booksLibraries (N=36)

percentage

English e-books are substitutes for printed book

4 11%

English e-books are complements to printed books

32 89%

Collection development policy on Chinese electronic books

Libraries (N=35)

percentage

Chinese e-books are substitutes for printed book

3 9%

Chinese e-books are complements to printed books

32 91%

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Collection development policy on

electronic books in the future Collection development policy on English

electronic booksLibraries (N=23)

Percentage

English e-books are substitutes for printed book now but will be complements to printed books

7 30%

English e-books are complements to printed books now but will be substitutes for printedbooks

16 70%

Collection development policy on Chinese electronic books

Libraries (N=21)

Percentage

Chinese e-books are substitutes for printed

book now but will be complements to printed books

7 33%

Chinese e-books are complements to printed books now but will be substitutes for printed books

14 67%

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Any change in your library on e-books in the next 5 years

Statements Libraries (N=28)

Percentage

E-book acquisitions will increase less than the proportion to your library budget

2 7%

E-book acquisitions will increase more than the proportion to your library budget

9 32%

E-book acquisitions will decline even more funding is available 0 0%

E-book acquisitions will rise even more funding is available 17 61%

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Key Findings 1/2• Chinese e-Books collections are insufficient in

member libraries.• Most member libraries favor to purchase

Chinese e-books perpetual access.• Main reasons for joining the consortium:

– The number of sharable titles of this consortium is significant (Strongly Agree: 69%)

– Reduce the administrative cost for technical services processing (Strongly Agree: 64%)

– The number of member libraries of this consortium is large and the buying power is strong (Strongly Agree: 64%)

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Key Findings 2/2• The current policies of most libraries are

considering e-books as the supplement of the paper books.

• In the future, those policies will change. E-books collection development policy will replace paper books. However, the budgets for e-books still depend on the total budgets.

• The participant libraries greatly acknowledge the effectiveness of the consortium, their willingness to join is rather high.

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Suggestions• Libraries can expand the e-book collection by

consortia.• Libraries can enhance the quality and quantity of

Chinese e-book collection.• Library consortia can strengthen the operations

effectively, establish great acquisition model and development core collection.

• Libraries can establish the model of electronic books evaluation.

• Library consortia can strengthen cooperative interests and establish ties with international consortia.