Print Reference Is It Dead Yet

transcript

Print Reference: Is it dead yet?

Charleston Conference November 6, 2014

David A. TyckosonAssociate Dean, Henry Madden LibraryCalifornia State University, Fresno

Nature of Reference Collections

Noncirculating Close to reference service desk Comprehensive

The Problem Part 1:The Size of Reference Collections

The Problem Part 2:The (non)Use of Reference Collections

How often should something be used to be placed in a reference collection?

OnceOnce a yearQuarterlyMonthlyWeeklyDaily

2009-2014 Usage Data Titles = 11,227

2009-2014 Usage Data Titles = 11,227 Used once or more = 4,678 (41.7%)

2009-2014 Usage Data Titles = 11,227 Used once or more = 4,678 (41.7%) Used once a year or more = 1,627 (14.5%)

2009-2014 Usage Data Titles = 11,227 Used once or more = 4,678 (41.7%) Used one a year or more = 1,627 (14.5%) Used quarterly or more = 341 (3.0%)

The Problem Part 2:The Use of Reference Collections 2009-2014 Usage Data Titles = 11,227 Used once or more = 4,678 (41.7%) Used one a year or more = 1,627 (14.5%) Used quarterly or more = 341 (3.0%) Used monthly or more = 48 (0.4%)

2009-2014 Usage Data Titles = 11,227 Used once or more = 4,678 (41.7%) Used one a year or more = 1,627 (14.5%) Used quarterly or more = 341 (3.0%) Used monthly or more = 48 (0.4%) Used weekly or more = 3 (0.02%)

Twenty Most Used Print Reference Titles

Dave’s Solution

Circulate your reference books

Print Reference: Is it Dead Yet?

Publish, Perish and the Plateau

Rolf A. JankeCEO, Mission Bell Media

Print Reference: Is it dead yet? Charleston Conference November 6, 2014

Publish

What formats for print are still viable, affordable (for the customer) and profitable?

Formats that are also attractive digitally. Monographs, academic handbooks and single

volume reference. Take advantage of changing technologies and

realize that print can be the default purchase.

Perish

Can traditional reference publishers sustain growth based on a publishing strategy that does not include any form of print?

Non traditional reference publishers provide new solutions without serving up print.

Shrinking real estate. Alexander Street Press, Adam Matthews

The Plateau

Can reference publishers survive on the plateau?

The Plateau

Print sales never hit bottom as expected. Ebook sales have slowed to single digit

growth after many years of double digit growth.

2013 - Approximately 5% Ebook growth while hardbook/paperback sales remained flat. (2013 data per digitalworldbook)

Predictions, predictions, predictions… The print vs. electronic choice will always

be apparent: to each his own.

The Global Effect

Publishers deploy global campaigns to promote relevant reference works.

Academics topics in the English language are desirable.

In some countries i.e. Japan, there is a demand for US print reference works and the higher the price the better (high price = high value).

Global sales help publishers afford reasonable print runs to lower unit costs.

"Print a thousand copies of a printed book, and odds are, even through fire, flood, or the ravages of war, a copy will survive somewhere, somehow. How much confidence can we have that books published in e-book format only, will be readable in twenty-five years, fifty years, a hundred years? We are in danger of recreating the world of haves and have-nots in this exciting information age. The printed book continues to remain more accessible on any income level, than any other form of information." —Allan Kornblum, publisher, Coffee House Press, The Huffington Post, Feb. 15, 2011

Alive and kicking

Elisabeth Leonard, MSLS, MBA

People still use and ask for

Subject handbooks Databases, Encyclopedias Dictionaries Updated editions

As well as journals, articles and textbooks

“E” (and a little print)

Academic Public Special

Print only 0.5% 0% 3%

Print preferred 4% 5% 6%

Online only 7% 0% 11%

Online preferred 68% 35% 50%

No preference 22% 60% 31%

No longer purchase reference

1% 0% 5%

Funds and formats

“Our 'reference' fund is only for print material. So our online reference buying is increasing each year. Our print reference buying is holding steady or decreasing.”

Reference budgets: past and future

Increase Stay the same Decrease Don’t spend now Don't know Eliminated

Last 5 0.12 0.32 0.49 0.069 0.069 0

Next 5 0.133 0.348 0.489 0.024 0 0.05

Financial concerns

“Print is still important format. We would like to have an extensive virtual reference collection but annual subscriptions of too many titles is not financially realistic. We purchase one-time-payment titles with permanent access as the budget allows. We do not have budget to purchase a large collection of annual subscriptions.”

Room for both?

“Online reference, of course, has the potential to be available to more users, especially if it is multidisciplinary. It can be updated easily; it's best if the dates are given for the updates at least. We revere the print here, too....& have some storage space.”

Format agnostic

It just depends on the item itself. We try not to let format dictate too many of our decisions, though we definitely have moved more towards purchasing online content.

Sets a mood

User experience and choice

“We purchase what best suits our users to the best of our ability which sometimes means online, sometimes print and sometimes we purchase the reference resource in both print and online because it is that important.”

“We have purchased based on faculty requests, and they usually decide if they want print or electronic.”

Imagery

Discovery

Circulates well

Marla E. PeppersAssociate University LibrarianJohn F. Kennedy Memorial LibraryCalifornia State University, Los Angeles

Library as Networks of collections, experts, facilities, technologies and

business practices.

Library as Place for learning, teaching, collaboration, social student

engagement, community engagement and virtual and physical facilities.

Library as Service Center for access to content, learning materials, expert advice,

learning assistance and information literacy classes.

Former Reference Area with Index Tables

Former Reference Area with Book Stacks

WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THAT SHELVING?!?

Safely disassembled and relocated to storage …

Utilizing Space for Student Use

From stacks … … to additional seating for

students

Reference Area

Reference Area (another angle)

Print Reference Is It Dead Yet

Education