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PDA and the Humanities: assessing the fit through an examination of the
literature on humanists and e-resources
Structured Abstract:
Purpose: As patron-driven acquisition (PDA) becomes increasingly popular we must
consider its impact on academic libraries and their communities of researchers. Of
particular interest is how successfully e-book PDA programs serve humanities scholars,
as traditional representations of their information-seeking behaviours suggest that ebooks are largely unsuitable for their needs. More recent investigations into the
research practices of humanists suggest that this perception is not completely accurate,
making it important to assess the potential fit between PDA and the humanities based
on available information.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Based on published investigations into the
information-seeking behaviours of humanities scholars, e-books in libraries, and e-book
PDA programs the author determined ways in which e-book PDA programs intersect
with the needs and practices of humanists, as well as the points of disconnect between
them.
Findings: Humanities scholars demonstrate many information-seeking behaviours that
suggest they can be well-served by e-book PDA programs. Their growing acceptance of
electronic resources, significant reliance on the monographic form, heavy use of library
catalogues, and the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of their work mean that e-books
and PDA programs can be viewed as compatible with their needs even though print
remains their preferred format.
Originality/value: While some note the number and monetary value of humanities
titles purchased through PDA, no authors have assessed the nature of PDA programs
in relation to the information-seeking behaviours of humanities scholars. Such analysis
is necessary to get an accurate picture of how well the humanities will be served by
PDA.
Keywords: PDA, patron-driven acquisition, e-books, e-resources, humanities,
humanists, information-seeking behaviour
Article Classification: Conceptual paper
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As patron-driven acquisition (PDA) becomes increasingly popular it is timely to
contemplate its impact on academic libraries and their communities of researchers.
With e-book PDA programs in place libraries can expose patrons to a greater number of
titles through their catalogues and provide just in time access to the items patrons want.
Of particular interest here is how successfully these programs can serve humanities
scholars. Traditional representations of the research habits of humanists would suggest
that e-books are largely unsuitable for their needs, but more current investigations into
their practices suggests that this is not completely the case. Humanists’ growing
acceptance of electronic resources, significant reliance on the monographic form, heavy
use of library catalogues, and the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of their work
mean that e-books and PDA programs can play an important role. The following
examination of the documented information-seeking behaviours of humanities scholars
and the nature of e-book PDA programs will provide librarians with unique insight into
the nature of the 'fit' between PDA and the humanities, and equip those with collections
responsibilities to assess the potential suitability of PDA for their subject areas.
Definitions
Subjects considered to be part of the humanities may differ from institution to institution
but commonly include literature, history, philosophy, religion, languages, music and the
arts. The term humanist is used here to refer to one who studies the humanities. For
the purposes of this paper PDA refers to loading records into the library catalogue for ebooks not yet owned but available, based on profiles and parameters set by the library.
Patrons trigger the loan or purchase of e-books for their libraries by clicking on these
records in the catalogue. The books are automatically either loaned, purchased outright,
or purchased once a pre-set number of views or loans is reached, providing the patron
with immediate access to the material.
Background: Humanists and E-resources
While there are significant bodies of literature on how humanists conduct research, the
benefits and drawbacks of e-books, and the logistics of PDA programs, no one has yet
combined this information in order to assess the suitability of e-book PDA for humanities
scholars.
Recent literature documenting the information- seeking habits of humanities scholars
frequently focuses on their use of a variety of digital resources. Several studies provide
useful insight into the digital habits of humanists, though they do not focus specifically
on e-books. Tahir et al. (2008) describe the significant use that humanities scholars at
the University of Punjab make of electronic information resources. Ge (2010) does the
same for humanists and social scientists at Tennessee State University in Nashville,
also investigating their reasons to use or not to use electronic resources. In determining
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scholars’ openness to open access publishing of e-monographs, Digital Monographs in
the Humanities and Social Sciences: Report on User Needs (Adema and Rutten, 2010)
from Europe also outlines the nature and growth of scholars’ use of digital resources.
Toms and O’Brien (2008) focus specifically on e-humanists, who “use text analysis (i.e.
apply computer-based techniques to perform a type of content analysis)…to augment
and enhance their traditional scholarly analyses” (p. 103), in order to identify areas in
which improvements to electronic resources can be made. Rimmer et al. (2008) focus
on the perceptions humanities scholars have of the physical and digital research
resources they use, which highlights the different role that digital resources play in their
work. Further filling in the picture of the information seeking behaviour of humanists is
the work of Quan-Haase and Martin (2012) who investigate serendipity in historical
research and the challenges that digital resources present. Clearly there is much
interest in how humanities scholars interact with e-resources in general.
Other research pertinent to the topic at hand focuses specifically on e-books. Such
studies provide insight into how and why humanists use e-books, as well as their
attitudes toward them (Levine-Clark 2006 and 2007). These papers, along with those
by Quan- Haase and Martin (2011) and Messner (2011) provide a clear picture of the
reluctance of humanists to adopt e-books wholeheartedly, but also provide an indication
of the extent to which they do value and accept e-books. In response to what he
observes among humanists Horava argues that the overall shift toward electronic
formats and e-books within the research enterprise requires these scholars to adapt
their “research and methodological strategies” and to move beyond the physical book
(Horava, 2008, p. 337). He cites e-book usage at the University of Ottawa in order to
suggest that this is an achievable goal. More generally, Slater (2010) provides an
overview of the common challenges e-books provide to users and libraries, in order to
explain why they have not gained as significant a foothold in academic libraries as has
been expected. Slater’s work is useful as a comparison to other studies focused
particularly on humanists and e-books, as it generally reinforces their findings.
Much of the literature on PDA reports on particular programs (Nixon et al., 2011;
Swords, 2011), and some provides data related to the humanities within those
programs. For example Shen et al. (2011) share details about the number of
humanities titles purchased in their comparison of patron-selected titles to the selections
librarians would have made. Anderson et al. determine that the majority of titles
ordered through Purdue’s Books on Demand program (in which books requested
through inter-library loan were purchased rather than borrowed) fit into “liberal arts call
number ranges” (Anderson et al., 2010, p. 128). Such publications only begin to
address the suitability of PDA for humanists specifically, still leaving a gap in the
literature. Since it is advantageous for libraries to offer resources and services that are
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both useable and useful it is important for librarians to consider this question at the
initial stages of planning for PDA.
Origins of resistance: Humanists and E-resources
Humanities scholars have long been depicted as solitary researchers who prefer print
resources, are reluctant to embrace technology, and rely on browsing and serendipity to
discover and develop research topics. With this picture in mind, an e-book PDA
program may seem ill-suited to their needs. There is no doubt that in general humanists
prefer e-books to print volumes, but recent studies suggest that attitudes toward
electronic resources in general are changing noticeably, especially among students and
younger humanities scholars. While there is potential for e-books to take on a more
significant role in the research of humanists, we must also understand their reasons for
continuing to work in a non-electronic environment in some instances. Where it
remains, reluctance to adopt e-resources is grounded largely in the following concerns.
i.
ii.
Primary sources in digital form can pose particular challenges for humanists.
If the context or quality of these sources is lost, as is often the case in the
digital realm, they lose value as objects of research. If varying editions
cannot be juxtaposed or annotated, functionality is lost. Work in the digital
humanities is certainly advancing to create useable and reliable digital texts of
primary works and many publishers are making e-book versions of historical
sources available. The focus of this paper, however, is PDA for current and
backlisted e-books from contemporary publishers rather than historical texts
so this concern will not be addressed directly here.
Some humanists are also reluctant to embrace e-resources because they do
not suit their established information seeking behaviours and interactions with
texts such as browsing and serendipity. Serendipity is “the chance encounter
of information, which leads toward a fortuitous outcome of new insight…and
has also been shown to be essential in the scholarship of humanists” (QuanHaase and Martin, 2012, p. 456). By contrast searching for or within eresources relies on targeted searches which generally work better with welldefined, word-specific topics and also reduce the likelihood of scholars
coming across anything by chance. Further, searching in an electronic
environment removes scholars from the stacks, the environment in which
serendipitous encounters with text can happen. Currently e-books
themselves and their footnotes can be browsed once loaded, and it is
possible to browse e-books by topic or subject area on a virtual shelf within
some library catalogues. But there is a need to develop search and browsing
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iii.
capabilities to better accommodate humanists and the notion of serendipity in
the electronic environment (Toms and O’Brien, 2008, p. 123).
Third, humanists have been notably resistant to technology in general and
sometimes unable to use it effectively. But there are clear indications that
they are willing and able to incorporate the technology that allows them to use
e-resources, including e-books, when doing so suits their needs and benefits
their research. For example, even though humanists are less likely than
scholars in other disciplines to use e-books in their current form for in-depth
research and reading (Levine-Clark, 2006, p. 293) e-books are good for factchecking, quick look-ups, verification of information, and targeted reading
(Quan-Haase and Martin, 2012, p.457; Adema and Rutten, 2010, p. 6).
Humanists can no longer be broadly portrayed as reluctant users of
technology, which suggests that if e-books can be enhanced to suit their
particular information seeking behaviours use of this format may increase.
Where PDA meets Humanists
While there is undoubtedly still resistance to e-resources among some humanists, it is
also evident that their information-seeking behaviours are adapting to research in the
electronic realm. It can also be argued that some of the long-held habits and practices
of humanists are actually well-suited to the discovery and use of e-books. Several
typical and evolving behaviours and practices are pertinent to a discussion about ebook PDA for the humanities: humanists are more willing to engage with e-resources
than in the past; are reliant more on the monographic publishing form than periodicals
for secondary sources; use library catalogues more than scholars in other disciplines;
and though they publish predominantly independently, their world of research is
becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. These particular characteristics align
humanities scholars with e-book PDA programs in a way that makes PDA at least a
viable, if not a perfect, fit.
Print alongside Electronic
The enduring supremacy of print for humanists is not likely to disappear (Levine-Clark,
2007; Rimmer, 2008 Quan-Haase and Martin, 2012; Toms and O'Brien, 2008). Print is
especially preferred for primary sources, where context, edition, and quality of the
reproduction are of critical importance (Rimmer, 2008; Toms and O'Brien, 2008, p.107),
and for in-depth study (Adema and Rutten, 2010, p. 6). In practical terms, print is more
comfortable to browse and read for long periods of time. However, while this preference
should not be ignored, it should also not unduly constrain libraries. Both Barret and Ge
report that the use of electronic resources in the humanities is increasing, especially
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among junior researchers such as doctoral students and assistant professors (Barrett,
2005; Ge, 2010, p. 444). Further, it is becoming clear that humanists are increasingly
using e-resources alongside print (Adema and Rutten, 2010, p. 4; Tahir et al., 2010, p.
127). They are willing to use e-books (though that is not their first choice), are
comfortable with the associated technology, and appreciate the accessibility and
searchability of e-books (Levine-Clark, 2006; Quan- Haase and Martin, 2012). LevineClark concludes that humanities scholars "like electronic books for certain types of
reading," as the vast majority of respondents in his study read a chapter or single entry
within an e-book rather than the entire book (Levine-Clark, 2006, p. 292). Other studies
also suggest that humanities scholars use e-resources in general more often for
consultation purposes (Adema and Ruttan, 2010, p. 6; Rimmer, 2008, p. 1387) but
affirm that an increasing number “are using digital resources and tools in their daily
research practice, in their reading and writing, as well as in their teaching curricula"
(Adema and Ruttan, 2010, p. 4). Regardless of the overall preferences of humanities
scholars their ongoing adaptation to the electronic realm suggests that they will not be
wholly disenfranchised by the implementation of a humanities e-book PDA plan.
Need for Books
Humanities scholars often focus on primary sources, but when they do need secondary
sources they tend rely more on books than periodicals (Ge, 2010, p. 443; East, 2005, p.
138). As well, it is when they are looking for secondary sources that they are most likely
to turn to electronic sources (Dalton and Charnigo, 2004). These two preferences
suggest that secondary-source e-books, which are the focus of vendor-based PDA
programs, are a viable option for humanists. Further, humanists do not need just any
books: often they are looking for unique or niche material, which is less likely to be
purchased by librarian selectors. In fact data from one PDA program indicates that titles
selected by patrons often differed from what librarians would have selected, though they
were still considered to be appropriate for the collection (Shen et al., 2011). So, a
broadly conceived e-book PDA program, which exposes scholars to a much larger array
of book titles than would otherwise be included in their library catalogue, can cater to
their very needs. Moreover, patron-selected titles have higher rates of circulation
(Nixon and Saunders, 2010; Reynolds et al., 2010; Price, 2011) which also suggests
that it is advantageous to involve patrons in the selection of library materials. Books are
essential to humanities scholars, and PDA programs have the potential to connect them
with those they need. Even though electronic is not the preferred book format, the fact
that more material can be made more accessible through e-book PDA programs is a
notable advantage.
E-Book Exposure
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Humanities scholars are noted to be heavy users of library catalogues (Levine-Clark,
2007, p. 8; Toms and O'Brien, 2008, p. 120), which means they are well-situated to take
advantage of e-book PDA programs. Of all respondents in Levine-Clark's study, those
in the humanities reported the greatest awareness of e-books at their institution,
particularly undergraduate students. The most common means by which respondents
in all disciplines and of all statuses (undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty)
learned about the availability of e-books was via the library catalogue, with the numbers
being highest among graduate students and faculty. As Levine-Clark demonstrates,
awareness does not guarantee use. However the increasing willingness of humanities
scholars to use electronic resources when they are available and can meet their
research needs suggests that the presence of e-book records in the catalogue can aid
in the development of humanities collections. And even though the library catalogue is
not always the first and certainly not the only search tool when looking for secondary
sources (Toms and O'Brien, 2008, p. 120), an e-book PDA program can still be useful
for scholars who begin elsewhere but come back to their catalogue to actually locate
items for which they've found references. Having more titles in the catalogue increases
the likelihood of finding a match. As catalogue users, humanists will be well-served by
catalogues that include PDA titles, which enable greater discovery and potentially
facilitate access to more of the resources they need.
Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity has become a feature of humanities research, with boundaries
between subjects blurring in light of an increasing focus on collaborative projects and
funding opportunities, curriculum revisions, and evolving areas of study. Not
surprisingly book publishing has followed a similar trajectory, producing many books
that don't fit squarely within one subject area. At institutions where collection
development is assigned according to subject area there may be significant pools of
titles that are either overlooked or rejected because of their interdisciplinary nature
(Anderson et al., 2002). PDA has the potential to help libraries fill in gaps such as these
by putting titles in the catalogue for patrons to select according to their needs,
regardless of the subject under which they are classified. Tyler notes that a number of
PDA-like programs for print materials filled this very niche and were particularly valuable
for graduate students, who are "among the more avant garde researchers" (Tyler, 2011,
p. 11). Anderson et al. reached the same conclusion, observing that graduate students,
and particularly those in the humanities, were the heaviest users of Purdue’s Books on
Demand program (Anderson et al., 2010). Particularly those working in unconventional
or emerging research areas who are also catalogue users, which frequently describes
humanities scholars and particularly their graduate students, stand to benefit from ebook PDA programs. Further, academic collections themselves can be strengthened as
subject-based and librarian-only collecting are augmented through PDA. Providing
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access to interdisciplinary materials is essential in academic libraries and e-book PDA is
one innovation that can play a part in ensuring this goal is met.
Conclusion
Assessing the nature of e-book PDA programs in relation to the information-seeking
behaviours of humanities scholars is necessary to obtain an accurate picture of how
well the humanities can be served by PDA. Librarians should not ignore findings that ebooks still pose challenges to humanists for activities such as conducting primary
research, browsing, serendipity, and in-depth or long-term use. However librarians
must also be aware of the information-seeking behaviours of humanists that are
particularly compatible with e-book PDA programs. Humanities scholars demonstrate
many information-seeking behaviours that suggest they can be well-served by such
programs even though print remains their preferred format. Their growing acceptance of
electronic resources, significant reliance on the monographic form of publishing, heavy
use of library catalogues, and the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of their work
mean that e-books and PDA programs can be viewed as largely compatible with their
needs. While the fit between PDA and the humanities may not be perfect it is evident
from this assessment that there is indeed room for humanities e-book PDA programs in
academic libraries.
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