The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has announced the publication of the E-book Collections, SPEC Kit 313. The kit examines the current use of e-books in ARL member libraries; their plans for implementing, increasing, or decreasing access to e-books; purchasing, cataloging and collection management issues; and issues in marketing to and in usage by library clientele.
By the May 2009 deadline, responses had been submitted by 75 of the 123 ARL member libraries for a response rate of 61 percent. Of the responding libraries, 73 (97 percent) reported including e-books in their collections.
According to survey responses, most institutions entered the e-book arena as part of a consortium which purchased an e-book package. The earliest forays occurred in the 1990s but the majority of libraries started e-book collections between 1999 and 2004. Purchasing at the collection level allowed libraries to acquire a mass of titles with a common interface, reducing some of the transition pains to the new format, according to survey responses. The downside of collections is that libraries find they are often saddled with titles they would not have selected in print.
Those libraries reporting success with individually selected e-book titles cope with other problems. Lag time between print and e-publication (with electronic the lagging format), restrictive digital rights management, loss of access by ILL, and limited printing top the list of concerns. However, responses indicate a preference for title-by-title selection as a more efficient use of funds.
The SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents in the form of collection development policies, e-book collection web pages, e-book promotional materials, training materials for staff and users, and e-book reader loan policies. The product is designed to examine current research library practices and policies and serve as a resource guide for libraries as they face ever-changing management problems. Each SPEC Kit contains a summary analysis, survey questions with tallies, pertinent documentation from participating libraries, and a reading list and website references for further information on the topic.
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