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E-books in St. Patrick’s College

E-books in St. Patrick’s College. A leap in a year. Liam O’Dwyer SLA (Systems). Context / Background. College of Education College of DCU since 1993 Two faculties – Humanities and Education Over 2,500 students 1,800 undergraduates approx. (1,200 B.Ed.)

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E-books in St. Patrick’s College

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  1. E-books in St. Patrick’s College A leap in a year Liam O’Dwyer SLA (Systems)

  2. Context / Background • College of Education • College of DCU since 1993 • Two faculties – Humanities and Education • Over 2,500 students • 1,800 undergraduates approx. (1,200 B.Ed.) • Increasing number of in-service students

  3. Library & Acquisitions Library Staff = 10.5 FTE (+ shelving staff) Acquisitions & Cataloguing = 1.5 FTE Summer 2009 – review of acquisitions policies & procedures Librarian AL (FT) AL (HT) SLA (FT) LA x 8 (FT)

  4. Acquisitions Review 2009 Some outcomes: • Supplier review & selection • Dept funds • EVERYTHING THROUGH LMS • A work in progress... A BIGissue was undergraduate core texts…

  5. Core Texts Problem: 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 copies • Committed to explore ebook option…

  6. Ebooks 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. CORE TITLE ACCESS

  7. Ebooks – assessing the marketplace

  8. Ebooks – assessing the marketplace • Took longer than expected! • Various suppliers/aggregators/access models • Looked at other libraries (DCU) • Eventually decided on Dawsonera

  9. Why Dawsonera? Most suitable purchase & access model (for us) Single-title purchase One-off paymentDRM approach Simultaneous users Stock Comparison Service – about 10% of our short loan collection available (125 titles)

  10. Show me the Money – Stage 1 Single-title purchase model gave problem of how to establish collection. Applied to Quality Promotion Unit awards for ‘start-up’ fund.

  11. Quality Promotion Awards • Annual 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. “Preference will be given to projects that potentially have a college-wide application. “ (QPU Application Guidelines)

  12. Fund Application • Ranked titles from stock comparison according to usage and stock levels • Applied for funding for ‘top 40’ titles • Stressed increased availability & access (an ‘add-on’ rather than ‘instead of’) • Target audience of undergraduates.

  13. 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”

  14. April 2010 – Purchase & Launch • 40+ titles ordered, accessioned, catalogued • Ordered via EDI • MARC records added • Print books labelled • Posters, emails, blog, • Catalogue icon shortcut

  15. April 2010 - We have lift off

  16. After the Goldrush…stage 2 Ebooks 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

  17. User Response - Staff • Initial purchase positive • Almost all availed of ebook option • Liked ability to link from Moodle • Requests for off-campus students Negative? • Some apprehension re: reasons for going ‘e’ • Confusion about availability (Google Books)

  18. User Response - Students • Positive overall – want more • Awareness dependent on lecturer/dept • Some confusion re: how to access & use • But they are being used…

  19. Some Issues / Concerns • Time-intensive • Low ‘hit’ rate = invisible work & lost time • Delay for new titles/editions • Some technical problems – adobe, IP • DRM limitations • clunky interface • not for ‘front to back reading’ • not compatible with e-readers (yet)

  20. Issues / Concerns • Concern about perpetuity & new formats • Did I mention DRM? http://readersbillofrights.info/ • Publisher developments http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/business/media/15libraries.html?_r=2&hp • Useful site - No Shelf Required Blog http://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/

  21. Overall • Showed Library in a positive light • Offered solution to a particular problem • Having a clear ‘why’ helps • Support of academics important • Not ‘the’ way – just ‘another’ way…

  22. http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/03/back-story-books-vs-e-books.htmlhttp://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/03/back-story-books-vs-e-books.html

  23. Thank You • liam.odwyer@spd.dcu.ie • 018842174 • http://www.spd.dcu.ie/library

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