E-books and the future of Cambridge College Libraries

Thursday 28th February 2013

Sarah Stamford

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Disclaimer

What follows are my own opinions about issues affecting the future of Cambridge College libraries.

They are based on reading and observation, not any priviledged knowledge.

They do not necessarily represent the views of the Cambridge ebooks Advisory Group.

Two issues for College libraries :the future of publishing and of the University

Publishing

Volume of print sales rising but profits are in decline (Amazon)Explosion in sales of mobile ereaders (Kindle, iPad, Sony, Nook, etc.)

Discourse based on trade publishing affects people's perception of ebooks, including academics.Accelerated move to digital publishing (Note the CUP original proposal to withdraw credit allocation for print purchasing.)

Academic publishers are developing own platforms to market ebooks (especially textbooks) to individuals (eg students)Revenue guarded via DRM.Aggregators getting less favourable termsLibrary sales valued but for non-textbook material

This is ebooks as they are now

What's coming?

Open Access monographs (OA-OPEN)More print on demand

Smart ebooks

Chapters

Textbook rental : Amazon, CourseSmart, etcOpen Access textbooksAcademic pick and choose textbooks

Issues for discovery and access. What's the purpose of a catalogue?

Publishing future

Mobile

Personalised

Interactive

Social

. but how does this fit with Cambridge?

Cambridge libraries

Report on Resources for teaching and learning (2008)

Assumed a transition from print to electronic provision

CARET joined the UL enhancing potential for developing educational technology.

Affiliation of F/D libraries to the UL - major opportunity to redesign library services. Will Colleges have input?Possible Tripos librarians for Natural Sciences and Medicine

UL to begin copyright deposit for eresources this year

UL new strategic frramework due this summer

UL collection development policy under review

UL to buy ebooks for research

Ebooks as part of your library's collection

Together, the Colleges have spent over 100k on ebooks since 2007.

Do you

Know what ebooks are available and where to find them?

Know which are the most popular ebooks in Tripos subjects?

Promote new ebooks to your students where they are?

Target specific subjects or year groups?

Use ebooks to promote your print library?

Follow ebs@cam blog and Facebook page?

Recommend titles to Faculty/Departmental librarians?

Keep your library committee informed of developments?

Remember, ebooks are a shared resource between all libraries. They don't just belong to whoever ordered them!

Question time ebooks and your collection

Do you check if an ebook is available before you order print?

Do you see ebooks as

A nice extra to the library's print collection

Replacing loan copies

Replacing a reference copy

When an ebook is available, why might you choose not to buy a print copy?

Would you hold off buying the new edition of a medical textbook in print if it was going to be available in e within six months?

What about PDA for ebooks? And for print?

Ebooks and surveys

Response levelsGetting to the less frequent library users

What kit do your students use, and for what?

What do you mean, ebooks?

Compare and interpret responses over years.

Let ebooks@cambridge know your results

The future

Know where you are going. Think about the options for your library in the next 5 years. What does your College want?SWOT analysis?

Have the arguments ready for your Fellow Librarian/Library committee

Absent friends spread the word. This isn't stuff we can choose to ignore.

How should Colleges present a co-ordinated response to future change?

We're all in it together!

Sarah Stamford

Selwyn College

ss614

Twitter: @Dymvue

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