OLA 2011 Ebooks: Taking the Next Step

The ebook landscape is complicated. As reported in a 2009 survey of ARL libraries, enthusiasm for ebooks is “tempered by frustrations with publisher policies, staff resistance to a changing model, and confusion over multiple interfaces and platform access.” At Washington State University, an analysis of the use and purchase history of ebooks became the basis for direction on ebook collection development and acquisition considering the multitude of new options. This program will cover guidelines on where to purchase ebooks, choice of ebook platform, selection of individual titles versus collections, simultaneous user options and perpetual access, as well as comparison of three ebook aggregators (NetLibrary, EBL and ebrary) for content, licensing rights, functionality and purchasing models.