KINDLING AN INTEREST IN E-BOOKS: SUPPORTING ACCESS TO
E-CONTENT ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS
Alison McNab
De Montfort University
Twitter: @AlisonMcNab
Track 1: Going mobile: information and knowledge on the move
Thursday 1 December 2011
OUTLINE
• Harnessing enthusiasm • Supporting library users • Managing expectations:
– availability – accessibility– affordability– licensing of academic e-book content
E-BOOKS EVERYWHERE
THE CHALLENGE
Normalising the e-book experience while promoting the benefits
E-BOOKSMay be:
• Current or out-of-copyright• Subscription or one-time cost• PDF or interactive• Primary texts• Textbooks• Reference books
(SOME) STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
e means:
• “martini” access: anytime, anyplace, anywhere
• “free”
• it is worth quoting
• text is available for cut-and-paste
• ....“but how do you cite an e-book?”
EXPECTATIONS OF ACADEMIC STAFF
• E-textbooks should be:– affordable– available in the latest edition – purchased title by title– purchased chapter by chapter– accessible on University and personal
computers, and handhelds
THE LIBRARY VIEW (1)
• Return on Investment
• Flexibility
• Accessibility
• Staff development issues
THE LIBRARY VIEW (2)• Work with publishers
– Integration with OPAC / VLE
– Chapter-level purchase
– Explore mobile access
• Scrutinise your licenses
• Try PDA
CONCLUSIONS
• Normalise e-books
• Provide advice at point of need
• Discuss issues around referencing
• Keep the conversation going!
