E-Book Platforms and Aggregators

As the number of e-books platforms has proliferated, and as the models which allow access to them grow in variety and complexity, publishers and librarians have become increasingly interested in what exactly is on offer, and what constitute the relative benefits and constraints of the available platforms. This report explores in depth the attributes and features of the main aggregator platforms, providing a comprehensive and detailed evaluation. The commercial and pedagogical advantages and drawbacks of e-books are also described from the different perspectives of publishers, librarians and academics. Five distinct aggregator groups of e-book providers are examined in detail: 'general' aggregators; 'specialist' aggregators; online journals aggregators who also host e-book collections; digital warehouses; and library suppliers. The options available to publishers considering the development of their own e-book platforms 'from scratch' are considered. Three case studies explore the experiences of publishers who have already developed e-book strategies.