The book is dead! Long live the book!

1. The book is dead!Long live the book! Reflections on e-books – diversity, growth, use Tefko Saracevic, PhD tefkos@rutgers.edu http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~tefko/

2. Central idea: transformations Books Libraries Most digitization efforts in libraries are micro, even nano in scale Mass book digitization is on industrial scale causing an industrial scale revolution in technology, services & use – in and beyond libraries And BIG transformations in libraries & library use • Books are changing – in transition from printto electronic • pBooks to eBooks

3. On disappearance of print books pBooks eBooks Many critiques “they lack the majesty, the aura of the artifact” (Lynch, 2009) But they are striving. And how! • Many elegies • Lamentations the way we experience books above & beyond reading • physicality of books • heft, texture, scent • we have a pile, collection

4. A small sample of articles

5. Sample of studies

6. Books: a brief look back Civilizations, cultures Technology Since beginning to this day they were connected with & realized by many, very different technologies • Since they appeared some 3 millennia ago books were critical for any/all civilizations, cultures that wrote • linked to the desire of humans to create lasting records • represent human beliefs, memory, achievements & scholarly record and yet, despite all changes they remained books

7. A few historical examples ... Book: wood, gypsum 18th dynasty in ancient Egypt, circa 1550 B.C.E. Word of Khakheperraseneb A literary discourse concerning personal and social chaos

8. Book: clay tablet 600’s B.C.E. Royal Library at Niniveh in Babylonia.

9. Chinese bamboo books date back to 500 B.C.E.

10. First (credited) printed book “Diamond Sutra”China 868 C.E. - woodblocks

11. Amati paper (fig bark) book – Maya, North America, pre-Columbian called “Dresden Codex” ~ 14 century

12. Ibn al-Haytham(965-1040 C.E.)“Book on Optics”1021 C.E. His studies of the eye gave the first modern understanding of lens, retina and optic nerve, as well as the mechanics of vision and perception. See also:Arab Science: A Journey of Innovation

13. And then in Europe came printed booksJohannes Gutenberg (c.1398- 1468) He was not the first to invent printing … Korea, China were before … but … Mass production of books that followed changed society Put together four skeins of technology • paper • ink • movable type • printing press He started printing books around 1450. since then over 100 mill. books published

14. And now from pBooks onto eBooks • No sculpture, yet, commemorating eBooks • But eBooks are the fastest & and most massive globally spreading books in book history • e.g. a virtual fair July, 4 to Aug. 4, 2010 , featuring over 3,000,000 eBooks; org. by World Public Library Michael Hart (Gutenberg Project) Book sculpture - commemorating invention of modern printingWalk of ideas, Berlin

15. In the grand scheme of thingsall interact & all are transforming

16. makers, suppliers Producers Vendors (aggregators) Concentrate on putting together many collections of eBooks and then provide unified access, add value - search, link … Book databases • Concentrate on scanning books • and then providing access • Libraries = micro producers • Mass producers = industrial scale

17. Libraries as producers – first generation Digitization A few examples from many British Library Online Gallery 30,000 items; among them many rare books Gallica - Bibliothèque numerique - Bibliothèque nationale de France 1 mill. items, 160,000 books, World Digital Library cultural treasures from around the world; so far about 1400 items; over 200 from Middle East • Globally, great many libraries digitized books from own collection • Many are rare, historical, classics • opened treasures to public – very well received • important for scholarship & education • But all together small in numbers

18. Mass digitization projects – second generation Pioneered Major projects Project Gutenberg first, gave ideas to all; ~140,000 books Universal Digital Library - Million Book Project global cooperation; ~1,7 mill books Google Books largest: ~ 12 mill books; international; many libraries & even countries cooperate cultural, legal controversies • Industrial scale of eBook digitization • innovative • applications of new technologies • some partnerships with libraries • Raised many issues & disagreements • Global

19. Example: Project Gutenberg Statistics

20. Example: Universal Digital library - Million Book Project

21. Example: Google Books

22. Next generation: Interaction in eBooks Major innovation pBooks vs. eBooks Interactive capabilities embedded within eBooks provide clear & even huge advantages over pBooks • Adding potential for interaction is a giant step in evolution of eBooks • using dynamic web vs. static scanned displays • makes eBooks into something else – Web 2.0

23. Vendors (aggregators) What? Who? Large, universal ones taking the role of super-bookstores with some interactivity Smaller, more specialized, aimed at specific markets, topics particularly libraries & similar institutions many most innovative • Bring together eBooks from different sources & publishers & make it available to libraries & institutions; also users • Add various significant capabilities - interaction • Some do it via specific software or apps

24. Sample of vendors … all online only Giants with global reach Specialized or niche ebrary: Academic Complete subscription: 50,000 books in many subjects. Interactive capabilities. New: Patron Driven Acquisition among others, Saudi Digital Library & King Saud University Library subscribe ClassZone– large global text book publisher turned to eBooks. Extensive interactive e-texts for middle & high schools. Geared toward digital natives. Interactive learning: “Textbooks come to life.” Other vendors offer similar capabilities, e.g. Gale, Netlibrary, Overdrive • Amazon –a super store & bookstore, e- & pBooks • mid 2010: for every 100 pBooks sold, 180 eBooks were sold • iBooks – Apple repeating the music formula to books, somedigitized heritage books (e.g. Project Gutenberg) + current; many for digital natives (While we do not call them “vendors” or “aggregators” that is what they are)

25. Example of a vendor: elibrary content for academic libraries

26. ebrary search & interaction capabilities – with InfoTools

27. ClassZone example of an interactive biology text for high school

28. OverDrive : Example of a vendor providing variety of resources & apps for libraries, schools etc. for access & variety of users, digital natives included

29. Example of a public library: audio & eBooks to download

30. delivery for eyes, could be also ears Physical Virtual Software for reading eBooks (& other e-content) on a computer & other devices variety on the market Used also for acquiring & managing eBooks International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) tries standardization • Devices used to display e-Books & other e-content • variety on the market • Plus: portable, readability in various conditions, long battery life • Goal: for the technology to seem to disappear • concentrate on content

31. Battle of eReaders on the go Readers (physical) Proliferation of formats Standards needed for interoperability Most used/popular: pdf (Adobe) ePub (International Digital Publishing Forum) Other formats available Sample of most popular ones: • Amazon Kindle • Apple iPad • Sony eReader • Proprietary - not compatible • These companies sell & couple a device & eBooks & other eMedia

32. Apple iPad & eBooksaccess to eBooks, magazines, newspapers, audio … iBookstore

33. iBook reader - Interaction:connects highlighted words to a dictionary & Wikipedia; VoiceOver reads text

34. Battle of eReaders for reading on your device - computer, mobile … eReaders (virtual) Software – platforms Independent of hardware; incompatible Some combined with bookstores Adding interactive capabilities – browsing, searching “Reading revolutionized” • Adobe Digital Editions – reads pdf, ePub • Several other readers on the market - combine a bookstore with reader • Vendors e.g. Overdive, provide own readers for download

35. My eBooks on Adobe Digital Editions back

36. User categories Institutional Direct Individuals new: Patron Driven Acquistion (ebrary) Groups children, adults, students, scholars, professionals … Combined groups from institutions, universities – e.g. courses, research projects ... • Libraries, schools, museums, organizations, agencies … • free eBooks and/or with subscription/license • Integrating with • other p & eResources – essential part of collection • other services

37. Libraries and eBooks Digitized old(er) books But now Subscribe, license eBooks & other eMedia from a variety of vendors Why subscribe or license? provide innovative services possible for multi locations circulate as other books go with digital natives for some no alternative • Support tradition, culture • enlarge collection • attract interest for “buried” treasures • provide resources for education, scholarship • Many libraries have a large number Libraries continue the shift to e-collections, including e-books

38. eBook advantages for libraries Operations Access 24/7 from anyplace but often restricted to own users (university, city) High demand books easily managed Merges with other services pBook= single concurrent user; eBook = many • Can’t be stolen, lost, mis-shelved • Automatic circulation • No additional space • Management easier • software often included • Easy collection of statistics - valuation

39. Advantage: Integrated collection & services eBooks Services eBooks circulated as other books Popular with users Many public & school libraries offer access to variety of eMedia Circulation rising dramatically • Combine with other resources – audio books, music, video, software … • Seamlessly connect with MARC records • Both increase use

40. Example of eBooks at Washington, D.C. Public Library – available to D.C. residents only

41. Example of a dynamic library web site - Denver Public Library

42. eBook disadvantages for libraries Economics Need for balancing With print collection still the major part for all libraries Still a good proportion of users are not there yet • Lots of $$$, €€€, SARs … • Funding a challenge • Technology investments still high • New competencies, (re)education needed

43. Digital scholarship & eBooks Digitized old(er) books New generation of eBooks Fast update as needed cooperative autorship Aligns with digital scholarship “Journalization” in use of eBooks sections as needed • Changed, broadened access • particularly old heritage & classics • Opened new education & research areas • e.g. in digital humanities

44. Publishers & eBooks Seeking adjustments Scholarly publishers Most convert all pBooks immediately to eBooks integrating p- & eBook & journal publishing aggregating from other publishers, large libraries & societies providing use statistics to libraries offering comprehensive (& expensive) packages • Publishers struggling & searching for new models • inventory-free print-on-demand attractive (print isn’t dead yet) • distributing eBooks though vendors • profits?? • authors looking for larger share of profit • samoizdat versions attractive

45. Example of SpringerLink a large scholarly publisher – many academic libraries, including in Saudi Arabia, subscribe

46. eBook use metrics –new items for library statistics & reports Importance Example of metrics Downloads, views sections, whole units Visits, sessions, searches Title reach (been used) age of titles reached Cost per use Contrast to pBook use Turnaways • To indicate various parameters of use, users, collection • For policy, negotiation, valuation, justification • Not yet standardized • various publishers & vendors provide different data

47. eBook use studies in universities Growth findings Effecting use Cataloging eBooks & having them in OPACs increases use Students use more than faculty Non-awareness linked to non-use • Number of studies show significant increase in eBook use over time • gain of eBooks over pBooks • varies by discipline, but trend the same Users do not know or care for term or concept “digital library” for them it is a library that, as always, has books - these ones a bit different

48. Digital natives and eBooks Digital resources Integration Devices: Becoming better, ubiquitous, & cheaper integrated with life eBooks are just books to be read anywhere Libraries need to adapt to information age, not to alienate potential users, particularly the young. • Part of their universe • young predominate, but not only young • Changing patterns how people read • & search for information • implication for libraries • But information literacy still low – BIG role for libraries to improve

49. Ally reading her book at a soccer game where her sister was a goalie (score 3:3)

50. ConclusionseBooks are succeeding because (part I) Mass digitization projects Commerce A number of companies (some old, some new) entered into eBook business an industry is emerging with competition, innovation, markets Transforming the landscape • Several high profile projects made available great amount of classic & heritage books • many current too • Raised availability & public interest