E-books in St. Patrick’s College A leap in a year Liam O’Dwyer SLA (Systems)
Feb 25, 2016
E-books in St. Patrick’s College
A leap in a year
Liam O’DwyerSLA (Systems)
Context / BackgroundCollege of EducationCollege of DCU since 1993Two faculties – Humanities and EducationOver 2,500 students1,800 undergraduates approx. (1,200 B.Ed.)Increasing number of in-service students
Library & AcquisitionsLibrary Staff = 10.5 FTE (+ shelving
staff)
Acquisitions & Cataloguing = 1.5 FTESummer 2009 – review of
acquisitions policies & procedures
LibrarianAL (FT) AL (HT)
SLA (FT)
LA x 8 (FT)
Acquisitions Review 2009 Some outcomes:Supplier review & selectionDept fundsEVERYTHING THROUGH LMSA work in progress...
A BIG issue was undergraduate core texts…
Core TextsProblem: Requested in very high
numbers but unable to meet demand (quality review)
‘There are 400 in my year and sometimes we all need the same book…there just aren’t half enough.’
So…Limited multiple copy orders to 10
copiesCommitted to explore ebook
option…
DCU initiative helped awareness of format
but…core text issue gave particular priorities
Initial task - to decide which option in marketplace best met our needs.
Ebooks
CORE TITLE
ACCESS
Ebooks – assessing the marketplace
Ebooks – assessing the marketplaceTook longer than expected!Various
suppliers/aggregators/access models
Looked at other libraries (DCU)Eventually decided on Dawsonera
Why Dawsonera?Most suitable purchase & access model (for
us)
Single-title purchaseOne-off payment DRM approach
Simultaneous users
Stock Comparison Service – about 10% of our short loan collection available (125 titles)
Show me the Money – Stage 1Single-title purchase model gave
problem of how to establish collection.
Applied to Quality Promotion Unit awards for ‘start-up’ fund.
“Preference will be given to projects that potentially have a college-wide application. “ (QPU Application Guidelines)
Quality Promotion AwardsAnnual awards to value of €5,000.Typically shared between 3/4
applications.
Library a good fit for awards brief Previous successful Library
applications include funding for accessibility software & hardware, training equipment, DVD collection.
Fund ApplicationRanked titles from stock comparison
according to usage and stock levelsApplied for funding for ‘top 40’ titlesStressed increased availability &
access (an ‘add-on’ rather than ‘instead of’)
Target audience of undergraduates.
Fund Application “Many of our online resources
(journal databases, literary archives) are geared towards post-graduate and research students. As the proposed texts are books and ‘core’ materials, they will encourage a broader use of our online resources by including the College’s large undergraduate student body. In this way it would enable a greater utilisation of existing IT infrastructures”
April 2010 – Purchase & Launch40+ titles ordered, accessioned,
catalogued Ordered via EDIMARC records addedPrint books labelledPosters, emails, blog, Catalogue icon shortcut
April 2010 - We have lift off
After the Goldrush…stage 2Ebooks in acquisitions processes:
Multiple copy orders (>2) checked for availability
If available, requester ‘offered’ ebook option (with reduced print copies)
Now also checking Swets for other availability
User Response - StaffInitial purchase positiveAlmost all availed of ebook optionLiked ability to link from MoodleRequests for off-campus studentsNegative?Some apprehension re: reasons
for going ‘e’Confusion about availability
(Google Books)
User Response - StudentsPositive overall – want moreAwareness dependent on
lecturer/deptSome confusion re: how to
access & useBut they are being used…
Time-intensive Low ‘hit’ rate = invisible work &
lost timeDelay for new titles/editionsSome technical problems – adobe,
IPDRM limitations
◦clunky interface◦not for ‘front to back reading’ ◦not compatible with e-readers (yet)
Some Issues / Concerns
Concern about perpetuity & new formatsDid I mention DRM?http://readersbillofrights.info/
Publisher developmentshttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/business/media/15libraries.html?
_r=2&hp
Useful site - No Shelf Required Bloghttp://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/
Issues / Concerns
Overall Showed Library in a positive lightOffered solution to a particular
problemHaving a clear ‘why’ helpsSupport of academics importantNot ‘the’ way – just ‘another’
way…
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/03/back-story-books-vs-e-books.html
Thank [email protected]://www.spd.dcu.ie/library