HighWire Press, a not-for-profit division of Stanford University libraries, has released the full results of a Fall 2009 survey of librarians on their attitudes and practices related to e-books. The survey, available online at http://highwire.stanford.edu/PR/HighWireEBookSurvey2010.pdf, was conducted as part of HighWire's ongoing exploration of the fast-growing scholarly e-books market.
The results and accompanying analysis draw together the input of 138 librarians from 13 countries. The responses are seen to underscore the significant growth librarians expect in e-book acquisitions and point to their current preferences and possible trends in this evolving area.
The survey data was analysed by Michael Newman, Stanford University’s Head Biology Librarian, and the report presents his perspective on what his librarian colleagues had to say about e-books. The report is observed to put forth certain familiar themes, such as: simplicity and ease of use seem more important than sophisticated end-user features; users tend to discover e-books through both the library catalogue and search engines; and while users prefer PDFs, format preference will likely change as technology changes. It further states that DRM seems to hinder e-book use for library patrons; and that ability to print is essential. The most popular business model for librarians, according to the survey, is purchase with perpetual access.
HighWire has been producing the online versions of books and reference works alongside its journals programme. With the number and diversity of requests for e-book hosting growing substantially, the need for data is seen to be significant. Data is particularly sought on how e-books are being used by researchers and scholars, and how librarians manage the collection development and acquisitions process.
HighWire is also conducting one-on-one interviews with students and faculty to determine their needs and expectations. Through a series of interviews, surveys and data collection activities throughout 2010, HighWire seeks to continue to help its scholarly publisher customers understand the evolving needs of libraries and individual readers.
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