How South Ayrshire libraries embraced

BookBookss

ee

What is an eBook service?

How did we obtain one?

Was it value for money?

What does the future hold ?

Frequently asked questions.

eBooks are downloadable books which you can read and audio books which you can listen to on a computer and / or on a mobile device such as: an eBook reader, mobile phone, iPod, iPad or MP3 player.

The majority of libraries work with an ‘eBook aggregator’.

We have a three year contract with Overdrive Inc.

Overdrive negotiates all lending rights, copyright issues and

permissions with publishers and authors, on our behalf.

The contractis comprised of two elements: stock purchase and

fixed-price software maintenance.

We have contracted to buy a minimum of $5,000 of stock each

year.

Browse, check out, and download with your library card… anytime, anywhere!

Download to a Windows® or Mac® computer… and popular mobile devices.

Transfer to devices like the Apple® iPod® and Sony® Reader™.

Library users can choose the lending period – one, two or three weeks.

eBooks and eAudio books can be requested. Once the request is available to download, an email willautomatically be sent to the customer.

eBooks and eAudio books are automatically deleted from the user’s device at the end of the borrowing period.

Easy to use, available 24/7, no late fees

Our LMS allows our users to join online.

Compatible with Android

Blackberry

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

Windows mobile

Download titles directly to your mobile device with the Overdrive® Media Console App from iPhone App store or Android Market.

4th November 2009 conference call with Overdrive.

24th November 2009 initial meeting with Council lawyers.

20th January 2010 legal contract signed.

25th January Overdrive appoints Ben Alcorn as Project Manager

11th February Overdrive forms completed and returned.

8th March visit from Claudia Weissmann and our first staff

training.

20th April meeting with our LMS supplier – Innovative Interfaces.

April / May 2010.

Project implementation and staff training.

eBook stock purchasing.

Finding IT solutions.

2nd June 2010 first marketing and advertising meeting.

June 2010 testing of patron and catalogue links.

15th June 2010 site live but not advertised or launched.

1st July 2010 eBook service launched with full media

coverage.

Once these steps were taken the real fun

began!

The answer is a resounding “yes”! The service has raised the library profile in the local area. New users include many people who had previously thought that the

library had nothing to offer. It appeals to younger members – and our eBook Twilight series can’t

be lost / stolen or soaked in the bath! It is socially and geographically inclusive – nursing homes, the

visually-impaired and includes those that even the mobile library doesn’t reach!

Shift workers.

We currently have 692 eBook service users. We have issued nearly 5,000 downloads. Our opening stock was 228 titles. 159 titles were eBooks, 70 eAudiobook. eAudio books are as popular as eBooks. By March 2011 we had 611 titles. By March 2011 our e titleswas 3730 - 0.7% of our total

checkouts. We now have 410 eBooks and 201 eAudiobooks. This includes 164 children’s / young adult titles. Our budget is £10,500 per year which is 6% of the Book

fund. A further £5,000is allocated from the IT budget for site

maintenance.

Overdrive statistical reports can tell us how our users accessed our site and when they accessed our site.

We created an online feedback form. Utilised our library blog to encourage users to

provide comments and participate in online surveys. Liaised with school librarians and school pupils. Our annual Reader’s Day included a talk and

demonstration on eBooks from an eBook publisher.

Close relationship with Council Communications Department.

Overdrive has an excellent range of publicity materials that can be customised.

We conducted a “planned” campaign that included: business cards, leaflets, book marks, posters, bill boards, local radio jingles and coverage by BBC, STV and local press.

Competitions and a range of ongoing publicity on our Library Blog.

Utilised Social Networking sites. Won Overdrive’s International

Marketing Award 2010 - $1,000 of credits.

Much talk of the, “death of the printed book”.

More books than ever are being published in paper form.

With the ever-increasing number of eBooks being published, it adds up to more words being written, published and read than ever before.

Consumer driven.

We are all in a 24 / 7 virtual information age.

Huge changes being asked of the publishing industry.

E books / libraries / publishers / Amazon – new business model required.

Big changes being asked of libraries – by their users!

E publishing gives greater freedom to all would-be authors to publish material.

Libraries required to “signpost” users through the avalanche of e materials now available.

Libraries as e publishers.

No title need ever be out of print.

Library Apps.

QR Codes and Near Field Communication.

Augmented Reality.

E publishing of Local History materials.

E textbooks for schools.

18 months ago we had not considered any of the above and now…

What will we all be doing in the very near future ?

South Ayrshire Libraries are working in conjunction with Solus UK to launch an App in summer 2011.

Direct access to Library site.

Ability to use all aspects of the service.

Branch specific if required.

Travel information added.

To appeal to South Ayrshire secondary school pupils as each school library comes on board with our LMS.

South Ayrshire Libraries intends to publish three eBooks – each converted from print titles in our Local History Collection.

First title will be: “A record of the Ayrshire Militia 1802 – 1883”.

Books will be sold as POD items and as eBooks on Amazon.

Contract with a conversion company.

Opened an account with Lightning Source International.

Opened an account with Amazon.

Do we lend eBook readers? No

What proportion of the book budget is devoted to eBooks? 6%

What proportion of the issues are eBooks? 0.7%

Do you charge for eBooks ? No

Most popular downloads: StiegLarsson, James Patterson, Kathy Reichs

Our top 50 downloads include titles by: Stephanie Meyer, Anthony Horowitz Jacqueline Wilson

Checkouts to 25th May 4461, including 429 downloads of children’s / young adult titles.

What formats can be downloaded? MP3, WMA, ePUB, PDF, Movies and Music

Jean Inness, South Ayrshire Libraries

June 2011