Have scholarly e-books
come of age?
Ben Wagner, Sciences Librarian
University at Buffalo
Upstate NY Science Librarians
October 20, 2006
The Progression
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E-journals (everybody!)
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E-Reference (Knovel, Gale, Wiley, netBASE
products, ScienceDirect)
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E-Books
Individual Publishers (Wiley, Springer, etc.)
New Aggregators (MyiLibrary, Ebook Library, Ebrary)
Existing UB Science E-Reference
Sources (Selected)
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Knovel & ENGnetBASE
AccessScience & Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
ASM Handbooks
Wiley (Ullmann’s & Burger’s Medicinal Chem)
Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Safari Tech Books Online
Idea Group Encyclopedias (Selective)
E-Reference Packages Task Force
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Charge: Identify and evaluate major e-reference
packages
Two major findings
Few true packages (XRefer, netBASE, Knovel)
 Interface features and pricing models vary
significantly, requiring careful evaluation.
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Few true packages
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Task force completing overall platform
evaluation.
Plan to recommend certain platforms over
others, other factors being equal.
Individual title selection naturally goes back to
the subject selectors.
Expanded charge of committee to examine large
e-book aggregators.
What we like about Xrefer
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Breadth, making it ideal for ready reference.
Ability to swap titles in and out at any time.
1-10 paragraph length records (Oxford
Reference Online tended to be 1-3 sentences)
Extensive cross-referencing chaining
information together
Concept visual map (way cool)
Persistent URL’s even if library drops title.
What we like about Knovel
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Breadth and quality of sources
Data-rich with indexing down to individual table
entries.
Lots of text-rich handbooks – good for
reference, background, and review.
Power and flexibility of search system.
Physical property range searching
What we like about …netBase
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Quality sources (CRC Handbooks/T&F)
Federated searching across netBASE products
Minimal overlap between discipline products
(CHEMLIBnetBase, BIOSCIENCEnetBASE,
ENVIROnetBASE, MATHnetBASE, many
more)
Each product is affordable (~$2,500-$4,500)
Platform Evaluation - 1
CONTENT
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Enhance/fill-in gaps in current collection?
Value-added over free Internet sources?
E-content –print content equivalence?
Platform Evaluation - 2
INTERFACE
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Usability/Intuitiveness
Ease of browsing
Ability to search individual, groups, or all titles.
Deep linking to chapter/section/page
Persistent URL’s
Print/Save/Email/EndNote capabilities
Platform Evaluation - 3
PRICING OPTIONS
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One-time fee, with or w/o “small” annual fee.
Perpetual access or life of edition
 Updates included for x years
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Annual Subscription
Print/e-combo
Platform Evaluation - 4
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Quality of content, page images, figures, photos.
Long-term access
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If we cancel our subscription?
If business failure/transfer of work to publisher?
Should paper/CD/DVD/microform be purchased?
Use and Usage Statistics
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Project COUNTER compliant?
ILL use permitted?
Walk-in use permitted?
Don’t make assumptions!
Idea Group Reference Encyclopedias
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Can search only titles and index terms. Full-text
is not searchable.
One-time purchase, but good only for “life of
edition”. When publisher releases new edition
or stops selling current edition, all access is lost.
E-book license terms
vary greatly.
Buyer beware!
Aggregators – Wow!
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Most interested in:
Ebrary (www.ebrary.com) – began 1998 [EBR]
 Ebook Library (www.eblib.com) – began 2004 [EBL]
 MyiLibrary (Coutts – www.myilibrary.com) [MIL]
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Also interested in Books 24x7 & Oxford
Scholarship online
Greatly dislike netLibrary
Big Picture – Ebook Aggregators
Huge collections (50,000+)
 MARC Records available
 Reasonable pricing (unlike E-journal/E-ref)
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 Typically
close to list price of print book.
 Typically “permanent” access
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Integrates with order/automation
systems
Big Picture – Ebook Aggregators 1
Innovative acquisitions/access models
 10 minute free browsing non-owned titles [EBL]
 Free search non-owned titles [EBL, EBR]
 Rent/borrow (3-day, 7-day) at fraction of
purchase price. [EBL]
Big Picture – Ebook Aggregators 2
Innovative acquisitions/access models
 Pre-select titles that will be purchase only if and
when a patron requests full-text. [EBL]
 Reserve/E-pack options [EBL,EBR]
 Variety of print/e-mail/paste options within
copyright limits.
My personal ranking
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E-Book Library
MyiLibrary
Ebrary
Visibility
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Highlight on library web site including resource
listings.
Integrate into course syllabi, course web pages,
etc.
“Push” information via student portals, course
management systems, newsletters, & informal
contacts.