SPEC Kit 313: E-book Collections

Library users are increasingly accustomed to and expect immediate access to materials and are comfortable with electronic formats, thus making an e-book collection attractive to an academic library and its clientele. E-books can be read online or downloaded in various formats (epub, pdf, mobi, etc.) to be read on various devices (cell phones, PDAs, dedicated readers, tablet PCs, laptops, etc.). Works can be born digital, turned digital from print, released simultaneously in digital and print, or any similar combination. E-books can be free, purchased singly, purchased as a package, or leased. This survey is designed to examine the current use of e-books in ARL member libraries; their plans for implementing, increasing, or decreasing access to e-books; purchasing, cataloging, and collection management issues; and issues in marketing to and in usage by library clientele.