Definition
An electronic book (ebook) is simply the contents of a book made available to the reader in electronic format (Hawkins, 2000).
A Selective History
1971 - Michael Stern Hart created the first electronic book (Project Gutenberg).
1987 - Tufts University launched the Perseus Digital Library.
1998 - NetLibrary offered the first ebook database for libraries.
1999+ - Aggregators such as ebrary, EBL, MyiLibrary, and OverDrive entered the market.
2004 - Google Books partnered with five libraries for its digitization project.
2007+ - Nook, Kindle, Smartphones, iPad
2011 - Overdrive makes library ebooks
compatible with Amazon Kindle
Advantages
Advantages
s Convenient 24/7 Access
s Conservation of Shelf Space
s Cost Savings
s Reduced Loss & Security Concerns
s Enhanced Reader Features such as Search Capabilities, Electronic Note Taking, and Built-in Dictionaries for Easy Access to Definitions.
s Less Impact on the Environment
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
s No Universal Formats or Standards
s Loss of Sentient Connection with the Printed Word
s Not Conducive to Reading for Long Stretches of Time
s All Print Titles Do Not Have an
Electronic Equivalent … yet
s Less Easy to Manipulate and Browse than a Printed Book
s Poor Interfaces Can Affect a User’s Experience and Attitude Toward the Format
Issues for Libraries
The
Issues for Libraries
Digital Rights Management
Collection Development
s Patron-Driven Acquisitions
Marketing
Budgeting
Vendors and Platforms
The Future
Librarians will always be information specialists, there to connect readers with the information they need.
Regardless of how easy technology has made the delivery of information, libraries must continue to understand their community and provide relevant content.
Librarians themselves should continue to hone their own technological skills in order to train and shepherd patrons through the myriad of options that
become available.
“30% of typical users of library digital collections rarely or never set foot in a library building.”
“60% of users learn of the [ebook] service via the library’s web site.”
“26% discover ebooks accidently by using the library’s catalog.”
~Cynthia Orr
References
Hawkins, D. T. (2000).
Electronic books. Online,
24(4), 14-26.
Polanka, S. (2011). No shelf
Required: E-books in
Libraries. ALA Editions of
the American Library
Association.
Orr, C. (2011). Secrets of
ebook success. Library
Journal, 34-36.
Thanks to David Salinero and Joi Phillips (Delta State University) from “Ebooks Poster Presentation entitled “An E-Book Odyssey: The History and Future of Electronic Books”, MLA Conference Ebooks Poster Session, Fall 2011