Document Type

Article

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

Library science

Publication Details

Aslib Proceedings, Vol. 64 Iss: 3. 2012.

Abstract

Purpose: To report on a study of the acquisition of e-books in libraries in Institutes of Technology (ITs) in Ireland undertaken in 2009. Methodology: Websites of the libraries of the 15 ITs were studied and this was followed by telephone interviews, using a structured set of questions, with the acquisition librarians. Details are provided of the e-book suppliers used, reasons for acquiring (and not acquiring) e-books, links with Virtual Learning Environments and methods of promotion. Findings: Librarians from 12 of the 15 ITs agreed to be interviewed giving a response rate of 80%. The ITs are using e-books from a wide variety of suppliers and teaching staff in the ITs had little, if any, involvement in the selection of e-book titles. Staff in the libraries find that business models for the acquisition of e-books cause difficulties. Most of the IT libraries were investigating a consortial arrangement for e-book acquisition. Better liaison with lecturers and improved promotion of e-books is necessary. Originality: A baseline study of acquisition of e-books in one sector of a country.

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