Check out a Kindle!

Dan Holden

Queen’s Annual Fund application in January 2010 Advice from: ◦Duke University◦Oregon State University◦Stanford University◦MIT◦Texas A&M University

Also considered Sony Reader and iPad Targeted planning students Duration of project is academic year 2010/11

Background to Project

1. Provide students with opportunity to experience new technologies

2. Investigate whether functionality of Kindles benefits students with disabilities

3. Enable students to use library books in more flexible ways

4. Improve student access to high-demand library books

Aims of Project

Purchased 5 Kindle DXs, cases and UK mains chargers

33 e-books chosen by academic staff

E-books purchased using Library’s Amazon account

Publisher restrictions on maximum number of Kindles can load a title

Acquisition of Kindles and E-books

Kindles available from August 2010 Limit of one Kindle per student or member of staff Loan periods:

◦Undergraduates/taught postgrads - 4 weeks

◦Research postgrads/staff - 12 weeks Can be renewed and reserved Overdue fines charged

Circulation (1)

Upon return of Kindle:

◦Check condition of Kindle and accessories

◦Check all titles still available

◦Check ‘deregistered’

◦Check Wireless is switched off

◦Delete ‘My Clippings’

Circulation (2)

Other considerations:

◦Password protection

◦‘Manage Social Networks’ and Web browser

◦‘Create New Collection’

Circulation (3)

Publicized on Library website (http://bit.ly/b4Qgou),

Twitter, etc Flyers distributed at beginning of lectures Print/electronic ‘Getting Started Guide’ available Dedicated email address: kindle@qub.ac.uk Printed and online survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QVXT5JL

Support

Total no. of Kindle borrowers = 27 (14 planners) Average no. of times print copies loaned = approx. 4

Usage: 27 September 2010 to DateKindle Loans Days not on Loan1 8 62 5 43 6 284 7 135 5 0Total 31 51

Did you find the Kindle useful?◦Yes = 8 (6 planners)◦No = 5 (2 planners)

... no page numbers on the e-books [...] impossible to reference

... I think iPads and Nooks are better A wider variety of books would have been more

interesting including a few from Project Gutenburg I was not happy with the display quality as well as

the user interface

Survey

Would you borrow a Kindle again or recommend it to a friend?◦Yes = 6 (4 planners)◦No = 7 (4 planners)

Need more books, possibly organised by theme I found it too frustrating to use, but the screen

readability is good I have since purchased my own kindle ... I've realised I like being able to flick through books

and physically bookmark pages

Survey

How can we make the Kindle service more useful to you?

Make people more aware of it, I only stumbled on it

by accident Make more kindles available Wider variety of books ... Allow loading of research material by the borrower

Survey

Publicize service more widely

Resolve accessibility issue

Assess latest generation Kindle

Assess free e-books

Short-Term Developments

Determine whether Planning want to develop service

Determine whether other schools want to become involved

Assess whether to loan USB cables Convene group to devise long-term strategy

including assessment of iPad, Sony Reader and NOOK

Long-Term Developments