The Impact of eBooks on Medical Research Libraries Experiences from a Multi Discipline University Li

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The Impact of e-Bookson Medical Research
LibrariesExperiences from aMulti Discipline
University Library
Helmut HartmannGraz University Library

• Informatio Medicata  
• Semmelweis University
• Budapest, 14-10-04

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Agenda

• Timeline
• Definition Problems
• Technological Assets
• Content
• Licencing / Purchasing Models
• Financial and Controlling Issues
• User Acceptance
• Future Impact

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Timeline

• 1971 Project Gutenberg
• 1994 HTML replaces Plain Text
  e-Book-publisher Fiction Works
• 1998 NuvoMedia Hardware Reader Rocket Book
  Start of NetLibrary
• Rocket Book ? Gemstar eBook First e-only
  book S. King Riding the Bullet Microsoft
  Reader
• 2001 Academic Publishers offer first e-book
  collections
• 2003 Gemstar eBook closed down

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Definition Problems 1

• An eBook is an electronic version of a
  traditional print book that can be read by using
  a personal computer or by using an eBook reader.

• An eBook reader can be a software
  application for use on a computer... or a
  book-sized computer that is used solely as a
  reading device... (TechTarget,
  IT-Enzyklopädie whatis)

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Definition Problems 2

• Databases vs e-books

DBThe helpless doctors FAQs

• Covers handle content physically

• Subject classification handles content virtually

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Technological Assets 1

• 24/7 Online accessability for authorized users
  from within and without campus
• No check out / check in administration
• Chapter downloads printing
• Cut and paste text passages, figures, tables
• Links to references, bibliographic records, web
  resources
• Single repository for multiple content types ?
  combined search in e-books, e-journals and
  databases

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Technological Assets 2
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Technological Assets 3
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Technological Assets 4
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Technological Assets 5
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Technological Assets 6

• Synchronized dictionaries, acronym keys
  (meta-information)
• Multimedia supplements (videos, audio files)
• Text-to-speech conversion, digital talking
  e-books
• Interactive calculating programs for real
  application (e.g. in engineering or medical
  diagnosis and treatment)
• E-course books with feedback tasks

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Content for academic libraries

• Dictionaries
• Reference works
• Text books
• Master Doctoral Theses
• Academic papers
• Course packs
• Book series

• Fiction and non-fiction according to collection
  development policy

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Licencing / Purchasing ? Vendors

• Biozone International
• Chadwyck-Healey / ProQuest
• De Gruyter (Pschyrembel)
• Elsevier
• Gale Virtual Reference Library
• Springer (Lecture Notes)

• OVID
• Oxford Reference Online
• NetLibrary / OCLC
• Questia
• Safari
• Thieme
• Wiley

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Licencing / Purchasing ? Models

• Purchase100 of print issue e-fee up to 55 of
  print price(Book owned by the library, but not
  upgraded, when new edition published single
  books often impossible, only collections or a la
  carte bundles of a minimum turnover defined by
  publisher)
• LicenceVarying annual percentage of print
  price(No archival access after cancellation)
• Concurrent Usage RatesIn most cases the rule is
  one book one user

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Financial Controlling Issues 1

• Savings
• Text book multi copies
• New editions
• Binding
• Shelving
• Administration
• ?

• Expenses
• E-books cost up to 155 of print issues
• Concurrent usage is expensive
• Substantial savings only in the long run
• ?

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Financial Controlling Issues 2
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Financial Controlling Issues 3
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Financial Controlling Issues 4
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User Acceptance 1OVID-e-Books Sessions /
Downloads UBG June 2003 - January 2004
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User Acceptance 2OVID-e-Books Downloads vs
Sessions RatioUBG June 2003 - January 2004
3,40
3,12
15,53
5,89
1,79
6,63
1,91
11,20
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User Acceptance 3 Wish vs. Satisfaction e-B / e-J
Universal Libraries
Technical Libraries
Medical Libraries
e-books
e-books
e-books
e-journals
e-journals
e-journals
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User Acceptance 4 No Response e-B / e-J
Universal Libraries
Technical Libraries
Medical Libraries
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Online Benutzerumfrage 2003
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User Acceptance 5 Frequency of Usage e-B vs e-J
Dramatically less frequent usage than e-Journals!
Once or more than once a week E-Booksmax.
22 E-Journalsmax. 91
Less frequently than once a week or
never E-booksmin. 27,6max. 55,4
E-Journalsmin. 2,0 max. 43,4
No response E-Booksmin. 14,6 E-Zeitschriften
min. 2,0
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Online Benutzerumfrage 2003
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Future Impact 1

• German language e-books will increase acceptance
  of the new medium in German speaking countries.
• Free and paid trials will evoke interest and
  create willingness in scientists to spend money
  on e-books.
• Individually specified offers will bring about a
  maximum of adjustment to the special needs of
  each customer without demanding collection deals.
• Consortial agreements for e-journals will
  increasingly include e-books.

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Future Impact 2

• The term e-book (as well as its counterpart, the
  e-journal) may become more and more obsolete, as
  the content is no longer bound to be published in
  the former physical unit of a number of pages
  between two covers. Subject headings meta-tags
  will (and do already) serve the purpose of
  enabling access to the point much better and make
  chapters as well as articles available without
  paying attention to the physical appearance of
  the content. So, information depositories of the
  future may be called e-information servers and
  pricing may be based on the amount of datasets
  (articles, chapters) that have been viewed /
  downloaded by an institution.

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Thank you for your attention!

• helmut.hartmann_at_uni-graz.at