Managing E-Books: It Sounds Serial

Carolyn DeLucaElectronic Resources Librarian

University of St. Thomas Libraries (MN)

Dani RoachHead of Serials & Electronic Resource Acquisitions

University of St. Thomas Libraries (MN)

2010 ER&L Conference

Agenda

1. Define “e-book”2. Review issues related to

purchasing, delivery, management

3. Share strategies & decisions4. Questions, Comments

NOT on the Agenda

• End-user experiences• E-book reader options• Rights management; licensing• Google Books• E-textbooks, open access e-books,

e-books created with readers’ feedback, etc.

How do YOU define an E-BOOK?

Some E-book Definitions

• A book that can be consumed electronically• Print book that has been issued or reissued in

e-format• Book-like content that could have been issued

in print, but was only issued in e-format• E-only, book-like production that is enhanced

with images, audio and video• An e-reference book (MRW), that may or may

not be updated continuously

“After nearly two decades of talking about how e-books are right around the corner, have we finally reached the corner?”

Mark R. Nelson, 2008

Purchase Impacts Delivery and Delivery Impacts Purchase

• Platform• Publisher• User level• Bundle options

• Pricing options• Funding options• Content• Vendor options

Is it all about the money?

Purchasing Decisions Impact Collection Development

• Selection decisions• Duplicate copies• Weeding• Preferences/impressions• Virtual content requires new

methods of tracking

“The current e-book business models are complex and vary considerably.”

Vasileiou, Hartley, Rowley

2009

Platforms by Business Model*

Big Managed Collections

Dedicated Viewers

Publisher-centric

Impelsys

*From “Business issues and trends in the digital book landscape” 08/09 Anne Orens, updated 1/2010

User Augmented

DASH!

Management Issues

Once the item is acquired, who holds the truth for what we are entitled to?

• Publisher’s letter/email?• Admin site?• ERMS/Knowledgebase title list?• Colleagues interpretation of above?

Hey, what did we just buy?

More Management Issues

• Tracking at title level

• Archiving• Weeding• Usage statistics• Standards

Still More Management Issues

• Syncing up silos• OPAC (cataloging, links)• Integrating e-books into our

existing tools and workflows• Human resources

Good News:Eliminate print considerations• Processing – Unpacking– Labeling– Shelving/reshelving

• Circulation– Handling lost, stolen or damaged claims– Managing holds, late notices, ILL– Special requests (loaning reference books)

• Storage and space needs

Bad News:Add e-world considerations• Processing

– Activate with provider– Put into the proxy– Add to management tools, Open URL products– Add to webpages– Download to a device/install software

• Circulation– Missing access, missing content, linking issues– Gather, consolidate and report usage statistics– Keeping up with platform/publisher changes

• Archive/preservation

Is it a wash?

Eliminate for print• Unpacking• Labeling• Shelving/reshelving• Handling lost, stolen,

damaged • Managing holds, notices• ILL• Special requests • Storage and space

Add for E-world• Activate• Add to proxy• Add to tools; OpenURL • Add to webpages• Download to a

device/install software• Resolve access issues• Gather usage statistics• Archive/preservation

Content Issues

• Wide range of e-book content

• Content may dictate how managed– Monographs– Reference books– MRWs

• Fiction example– Library marketing --

Kindle

Content Determines Management

Our marketing/Kindle example:• Catalog device• Catalog titles • Process/manage reader device• Process/manage titles• Download

Delivery/Discovery issues

• OPAC (scoping, locations)

• Platforms • Reader devices• Software• Plans for format

extinction/evolution

Our Management Tools• ERMS (SerialsSolutions)

– A-Z– OpenURL– MARC for ejournals– Discovery layer

• Catalog– Holdings– Vendor info– Cost data– Discovery layer

• DB Tool – Centralized output to website– Liaison info for/about

• Serials DB– Publisher/platform– Liaison info for/about– Renewal info

• DeptStore files• University accounting system• Subscription agent (EBSCOnet)• Paper files

ERMS Wild KingdomBird (e-book)• Monograph• Book $• 1-time purchase• Purchase options

vary -- vendor, direct, 3rd party

• May have annual subscription or hosting costs (but unlikely)

• Licensing varies -- from minimal to extensive

Fish (e-journal)• Serial• Journal $• By subscription• Purchase option

norm is via agent• May have 1-time

archive or perpetual rights fees

• License by publisher

Animal (e-resource)•Integrating resource•Web resource $•By subscription•Purchase options include consortium, direct•May have 1-time upfront archive or perpetual rights fees•Extensive licensing

Encyclopedia of the Cold War

• Published in print and online formats (bird)

• One time purchase (bird)• Monograph (bird)• Not updated (bird)• Purchased with e-book

funds (bird)

Manufacturing & Distribution USA

• Published in print and online formats (bird)

• Each edition cataloged as monograph (bird)

• Published in editions (fish)

• Purchased with serial funds, standing order for every edition (fish)

New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics

• Initial purchase used book money (bird)

• Future support from web resources fund (animal)

• Our ERMs presents as e-book (bird)

• “Frequently updated” content (animal)

• Acts like a database (animal)

Journal of Early Intervention

• Single e-journal (fish)• Funded as a serial (fish)• Several subscription

options including with and without deep archive (still a fish)

International Year Book and Statesmen’s Who’s Who

• Serial material type (fish)• Has ISSN (fish)• Has ISBN (bird)• Our ERMs had listed as

bird -- we asked it to be a fish (bird? fish?)

ATLA Religion Database

• ATLA/S indexes books and journals, some full-text (animal)

• Managed, funded as web resources (animal)

• Integrating resource (animal)

Columbia Gazetteer

• In print, it’s a book (bird)

• In e-format, it’s an integrating resource (animal)

• Initial purchase book funds covers access through 2013 (bird)

Historical New York Times

• ERMS -- turned on as web resource (animal)

• ERMS -- turned on as periodicals (fish)

• Animal made from bundling fish and adding federated search (animal fish)

International Dictionary of Company Histories

• Published in both print and online formats

• Cataloged as multi-part monograph

• Published in volumes• Purchased with serial

funds• Create a federated

search across all volumes and add new volumes regularly

UST Decisions

• Picked and promoted our favorite platforms• Moving to provider-neutral records in OPAC• Chose to put popular fiction on Kindle• Chose not to purchase most e-book and web

resource MARC records from publishers• Collect use stats for e-books • Chose not to track e-books in a mixed format

aggregated database

UST Strategies

• Developed flowcharts and documentation• Added new fund codes, flexibility• Modified Counter BR reports to DB Reports• Manage MRW titles in Serials Solutions ERMS• Built Reference Resources Tool

UST Looking Forward

• Continue evaluating:– Staffing allocations– Serials Solutions’ e-book MARC records– Post cancellation access options

• Decide priority of archiving MRWs

Q&A

• What tips, tools, or tricks do you use?• Where do you go for help?• How do you do what you do?• Have you reassigned staff?

• What have you stopped doing?

Bibliography

• Nelson, Mark R. “E-Books in Higher Education: Nearing the End of the Era of Hype?” ECAR Research Bulletin, 2008.

• Orens, Anne. “Business issues and trends in the digital book landscape.” NISO webinar: E-books: A rapidly evolving marketplace, August 2009.

• Vasileiou, Magdalini, Richard Hartley, and Jennifer Rowley. "An Overview of the e-Book Marketplace." Online Information Review 33.1 (2009): 173-92.

Thanks and more!

Slides and documentation available at:http://www.stthomas.edu/libraries/presentations/er&l/

Carolyn DeLucacjdeluca@stthomas.edu

Dani Roach dlroach@stthomas.edu

Special thanks to: Artwork by Roxann Reisdorf (menagerie of graphics)

Anne Orens for reuse of ‘Platforms by Business Model’ slide