The JUSTEIS project analysised the promotion & usage of e-books and concluded that at the time, no-one used e-resources and that it was viewed in terms of Google.
Purpose of the e-book is that it is intended to be read on the screen. Technology has been lagging in making this feasible but this year will see new readers hitting the market.
Issues still arise with the range, type, cost and locating existing e-books. Global books in print is currently considered about the best for sourcing e-books. It covers current publications, out-of-print and forth coming titles.
There still exists problems with different suppliers using different interfaces and different software. Locally there is often problems with access & IT support.
Management issues include:
- Selection/ acquisition
- Budget allocation
- New skills required for evaluating e-books
- There is need for approvals and publisher trials
- Cataloguing issues (MARC records)
- Adequacy of collection development policy
- Issues still exist with use on virtual learning platforms
Study shows that e-books are more likely to be used from catalogues. It is also felt that libraries do not promote usage as a whole. Some tried techniques include: staff information sessions, e-book champion, newsletters, posters, current awareness, VLE announcements, orientation of new users.
Other problems are created by hardware or networking:
- LAN / Intranet
- Firewalls
- Compatibility
- Access to work stations & ergonomics
- Liaising with IT support
- Disenfranchised students
- Printer access
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