ALA 2014 Annual Conference International Papers and Projects Program:
E-Books and E-Readers: Leveling the Playing Field or Widening the Digital Gap?
Saturday, June 28, 2014, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Usage and Challenges of E-Books & E-Readers in Southeast Asia:
A Current Snapshot of the Issue
Grace Sim (Singapore)
Ai Cheng Tay (Singapore)
Ida Priyanto (Indonesia)
John Hickok (USA)
INTRODUCTION
This paper is being presented by a team of Southeast Asian librarians (and one U.S. librarian
with extensive Southeast Asian library experience) for a multi-faceted approach to the theme.
Southeast Asia stands as a timely and relevant case study of E-book & E-reader usage, since
much of Southeast Asia is still developing. This paper will not just focus on one aspect of Ebooks/E-readers (limited in its appeal), but rather, on an array of aspects
 First, the E-book/E-reader situation in SINGAPORE will be presented, as a snapshot of
how neighboring Southeast Asian countries may proceed.
 Second, the E-book/E-reader situation in the PHILIPPINES will be presented to
highlight economic disparities. In developing countries, e-books are still too limited to
the top university libraries, and e-readers have yet to expand—too expensive and too
limited of users. With mass production, and falling prices of technology, this will likely
change, but currently, the disparity is still wide.
 Third, the E-book/E-reader situation in MALAYSIA will be presented to note rural vs.
urban access challenges. Southeast Asian nations still have huge rural areas, and rural
areas are ill-equipped with new technology. However, there are some isolated glimmers
of hope, employing e-technology in remote locations or through mobile outreach.
 Fourth, the E-book/E-reader situation in THAILAND will be presented to note sharing
and consortia efforts. Given limited resources, sharing and consortium efforts have been
employed, yielding mixed results. Challenges and problems exist, and the potential has
yet to be realized, but there are some bright spots as model examples.
 FIFTH, the E-book/E-reader situation in INDONESIA will be presented to address the
language issue. One of the challenges of e-books overseas is gaging if there is enough
native language content available to maximize this emerging technology. U.S. based ebook providers are not likely to provide translated works if it is not profitable. And
content providers in Southeast Asian countries are still assessing the e-reader customer
base.
SINGAPORE
Singapore, city-state and island-country of 716 square kilometres and a resident population of
5.4 million, is one of the most wired countries in the world. Household access to broadband
internet stands at 84% as of 2012. For residents without home or personal Internet access, they
can still access wireless broadband freely at close to 2,000 Wireless@SG1 hotspots in public
areas across the island. This brings the percentage of residents with access to computers and the
Internet at any location up to 91%.
In recent years, the smartphone has become a popular way of accessing the Internet, even at
home. 65% of Singapore residents aged 7 years and above use a smartphone, with the figure
rising to around 95% for teenagers and young working adults. Tablet usage is also on the rise,
with a usage of 26% of the same population2. Since dedicated ereaders such as the Amazon
Kindle and the Kobo eReader are not readily available in the local market, mobile devices are
likely to be the main devices for accessing and reading eBooks.
The Promises and Challenges of eBooks
Accessibility, usability, availability and desirability are factors that affect eBook adoption.
Accessibility is whether users have the means to access eBooks; unlike physical books which
exist as a complete reading package, eBooks require users to connect to the Internet, have the
right device and software, and have the technical know-how to work this device. Usability refers
to the ease of reading; until mobile devices became available, reading eBooks on computers had
been a cumbersome experience. Availability describes the ease which libraries can obtain good
content. Lastly, desirability refers to the attractiveness of the content in the eBook format.
Accessibility & Usability
With the prevalence of internet-connected portable devices that are eBook friendly and an eBook
library that opens 24/7, the issues of accessibility and usability that were associated with reading
texts on clunky computers linked to slow internet servers have largely been overcome, to the
extent that our well-connected network of 25 public libraries seem relatively inconvenient in
comparison, even though they are located at the transport hubs of most public residential estates,
and open till 9pm daily (except for Public Holidays). Our library users can now check out,
download and return their books instantly in the comfort of their homes or on the move in a train,
in the wee hours of the night when insomnia strikes, or at the break of dawn while queuing for
their morning coffee. And since these books will be automatically deleted after the due date,
readers no long have to worry about incurring overdue fines. Furthermore, eBooks are easier to
“carry” around and save considerable amount of space.
However, the ease of accessibility applies only to those who have gone through the arduous steps
of setting up the multiple accounts required to download an eBook. For example, should one
wish to download a book for the first time on the Overdrive platform, he/she would need to (a)
download the Overdrive app and set it up to access the National Library Board (NLB) digital
library, (b) log into the NLB account, and (c) set up and activate the Adobe account for Digital
Rights Management – all these take up a daunting 10 minutes even for the digitally savvy!
Availability
The availability of good content remains a hurdle for NLB. NLB has been consistently
increasing its eBook holdings by subscribing to new eBook databases and purchasing more
eBook titles. For example, on the Overdrive platform, the number of eBook copies rose from
13,000 in 2007 to 100,000 by the end of 2012. To increase the depth of the collection, we have
also subscribed to Ebrary and eBooks on EbscoHost.
In this digital journey, we have been presented with several challenges which are probably rather
similar to those encountered by many other libraries in the world. One such example would be
the limitations imposed by major publishers through the lending models allowed for libraries
such as the 26 circulation limit set by HarperCollins to protect their authors.
Our collection size for eBooks is also limited by licensing issues which influence the availability
of eBooks across national boundaries. For instance, international geographical restrictions set by
some publishers do not allow us to have access to the full range of eBook contents available in
the market as compared to libraries in the United States. For instance, Penguin eBooks are not
made available in Singapore despite having a presence in countries such as the United States,
United Kingdom and Canada.
Acquiring electronic contents in the four official languages of Singapore, namely, English,
Chinese, Malay and Tamil have also proved to be challenging due to the relatively limited
contents available in the three mother tongue languages, especially for Malay and Tamil eBooks.
This could be partly attributed to the level of eBook adoption in the countries where these
languages are commonly spoken. However, NLB will continue to expand sourcing for vendors in
this region and also to engage local publishers as we build up our digital language collections.
There is also a limited selection of eBooks by local writers and this can be attributed to the
mixed responses by local publishers to digitize their content. While some publishers have
jumped onto the eBook bandwagon, some have expressed concern over issue such as the
uncertainty of the future of eBooks, the potential cannibalization of their print sales and the
security and safety of their eBook contents.
Desirability
Although modern eBooks allow conveniences such as font size adjustment and note taking, not
all printed texts render well. Picture books, for example, are not easy to layout properly in some
of the standard eBook formats. And printed works with experimental formatting, such as David
Foster Wallace’s footnote intensive novels, can turn into a labyrinth of links and strangely
aligned texts. On the other hand, some publishers have harnessed the interactivity in electronic
devices to deliver new reading experiences that greatly increase the desirability of eBooks.
Unfortunately for libraries, such new reading experiences, typically found in app-based books,
form a small percentage of eBook publishing and often do not have a platform that allows library
lending.
Loan of eDevices: Bridging the Digital Divide
As a first step towards increasing the availability of our eBooks and other digital resources, NLB
has made available ereaders and mobile tablets such as iPads, Playaways and Kindles for loan at
some of its public libraries since 2012. Registered library members could borrow any of the
devices available for a period of three weeks. These devices have either access to eBooks
subscribed by NLB or are pre-loaded with e-content. The eDevices loan service was further
expanded to include 400 ereaders in July 2013 following a generous donation by the Embassy of
the United States.
The loan of eDevices enables the libraries to reach out to those who were not familiar with
technology by lowering economical barrier. Complimentary training workshops for iPads and
ereaders conducted by librarians helped first-time users familiarize themselves with the basic
functions of the eDevices, and thus lower the psychological barrier associated with learning this
emerging technology.
While NLB’s training workshops were not specifically targeted at seniors, it was very
encouraging to note that more than 50% of the workshop attendees comprised senior citizens
using eDevices for the first time. Given that the lack of knowledge, skills and confidence were
the major obstacles to using technology3, it was important to ensure that workshops included
more time for hands-on practice.
We soon realized that many of the attendees were not familiar even with basic functions such as
powering them on and off. The librarians would thus first introduce the basic functions, before
moving on to the downloading of ebooks. Given that this was the users’ first experience, they
had to learn to set up an email account, an Apple ID (for iPad workshops), a Wireless@SG
broadband account, even before they can enter the eBook app. The multiple steps involved
before the user can actually download a book to read can pose as a challenge, especially for our
senior readers. Since the start of the workshops, we have received numerous positive comments.
Some patrons have even returned to go through the workshop again to master these devices!
As NLB continues to evolve our library services to cater to an increasingly sophisticated and
diverse patron base, it is important that we build our digital library services to complement the
increasingly mobile lifestyles of Singaporeans. However, much remain to be done to expand our
digital collections, be it through the sourcing of more vendors or through open discussions with
vendors and publishers to make available to us their eBook contents. We hope that publishers
over time will recognise the value that libraries bring to them, as opposed to being viewed as a
threat to their commercial interests.
PHILIPPINES
In the Philippines, E-books/E-readers are emerging and indeed available, in various platforms
and locations. But the issue of accessibility—particularly economic disparity of access versus
non-access—is a concern.
E-books: Library availability
National Library/Library Associations. The National Library of the Philippines provides a list of
free eBook collections on its website (http://web.nlp.gov.ph/nlp/?q=taxonomy/term/40). Most of
these are free collections on the Web, such as Project Gutenberg, Digital Book Index, etc. Two
collections are distinctly Philippine—“Project Gutenberg of the Philippines” and the NLP’s
Digital Collections—but they are small (former) and not remotely accessible (on-site only;
latter). The Philippine Association of Academic & Research Libraries (PAARL) also provides a
list on its Wiki site: http://paarl.wikispaces.com/Useful+Links#Fil
Academic Libraries. Leading academic libraries of the Philippines all have e-books collections,
such as the University of the Philippines (http://www.mainlib.upd.edu.ph/?q=ebooks), Ateneo
University (http://rizal.lib.admu.edu.ph/onlinesources.asp?onlineID=7), De La Salle University
(http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/library/ebooks.asp), Mapua Institute of Technology
(http://library.mapua.edu.ph/Resources/Ebooks.aspx &
library.mapua.edu.ph/Resources/OpenEbooks.aspx) and others. Medium-size university libraries
also feature e-book collections—although less subscription collections and more free
collections—such as Centro Escolar University (Credo reference e-books:
http://library.ceu.edu.ph/Onlinejournals&newspapers.htm), Jose Rizal Memorial State University
(links only: http://jrmsu.edu.ph/mainlibrary/ebooks.php), or Holy Angel University (links only:
http://www.hau.edu.ph/university_library/E-Books.php) Small provincial universities and
colleges typically do not have e-books collections (if at all, just links to free e-book websites);
for example, Global City Innovative College in Manila has a website noting its in-house book
collection, but no e-books (http://www.global.edu.ph/library-services.html).
Public Libraries. Only large or proactive metropolitan public libraries typically feature e-books.
For example, the website of the Quezon City Public Library features links to free online e-book
collections (http://www.qcpubliclibrary.org/ebooksandmore.php). These include collections
such as Project Gutenberg, MeeGenius (e-books for children), and others. However, these are all
outside (Internet) collections; the library offers no online e-books of its own. Other public
libraries—though having praiseworthy collections and services—do not yet offer online lists of,
or access to, e-books (for example, the Pasig City Library,
http://pasigcitylibrary.wordpress.com/).
E-books: Commercial availability
Booksellers. Both traditional Philippine bookstores/bookstore chains and new Philippine online
bookstores are offering e-books. National Book Store, the country’s largest traditional bookstore,
features e-books on its website (http://www.nationalbookstore.com.ph/ebooks.html). These
include Tagalog and English titles, and are delivered through Kobo—a Japanese/Canadian
partner Web service—to computers, tablets, or smartphones, in various operating system
platforms or apps. FlipReads.com, a new online bookstore since 2011, is especially promoting
Philippine books (http://www.flipreads.com).4 However, non-Philippine online bookstores are
equally available for instant downloads; for example, Ebooks.com—an Australian company
(http://www.ebooks.com)—offers e-book downloads for any device or platform, not just Kindle,
as Amazon requires.
Publishers. Publishers are entering the e-book market in the Philippines, but slowly. This delay
is due to two primary reasons: the traditional print industry is very established, and concerns over
unstoppable copying (i.e. no profits).5 Vibal Publishing (http://www.vibalpublishing.com), a
longstanding Philippine educational publisher, is taking the plunge into e-books, brokering big
deals with schools to adopt e-books.6
E-readers: Availability and Economic Disparity
The Philippines is a nation of readers. With a literacy rate of over 95% (and 97.8% among
youth)7, there is certainly a reader base. Despite this, E-reader devices have been slow to enter,
and sell, in the Philippines. Why? One factor is the market saturation of web-connectable
(smart) phones. These phones—which can equally read e-books, in addition to a host of other
tasks—offer greater appeal than more-expensive reader devices which can only do one thing.
Admittedly, small smart phone screens are not as easy to read, but for the significant percentage
of the Philippine population with more limited incomes, the small screen is an acceptable tradeoff.8 E-books which are sold exclusively for proprietary e-readers, such as Kindle or Nook, are
understandably slow to market in the Philippines if there is not an e-reader sales base to make
them profitable. So is there an economic disparity between those using e-readers and those not
(those using phones instead)? Yes. But given that smart phone screens are increasing, and ereader prices are decreasing, the two may eventually meet.
MALAYSIA
In Malaysia, E-books/E-readers are likewise available. And Malaysia stands as a good example
of examining the issue of urban versus rural access.
E-book Availability
Commercial. Malaysia has several traditional bookstores/bookstore chains, and some of them
include purchasable/downloadable e-books on their websites. For example, the largest and
oldest bookstore in Malaysia is MPH, which features an e-book page:
http://www.mphonline.com/ebooks/welcome.aspx. Online Malaysian bookstores also offer ebooks. For example, the e-Sentral site (https://www.e-sentral.com) offers thousands of books, in
both English and Bahasa Malaysia, downloadable for any device or platform. Worldwide e-book
sites are also available in Malaysia, for similarly easy downloads, such as Google Play Books
(https://play.google.com/store/books) or Kobo (http://store.kobobooks.com/).
Libraries. For almost 2 decades Malaysia has been cyber-connecting its country, both for
academia and the public. This means Malaysian libraries feature e-books. Major academic
libraries host webpages of e-books, such as the University of Malaya
(http://www.diglib.um.edu.my/interaktif/), the University of Technology MARA
(http://online.ptar.uitm.edu.my/ebooks/), or Universiti Putra Malaysia
(http://www.lib.upm.edu.my/sp/page/2180/ebookbm#sp/page/2180/ebookbm). Studies have
shown that e-book usage among (undergraduate) university students is growing.9 Public libraries
(both state and city) host e-books too; for example, the National Library’s suite of e-book
collections (http://pnmdigital.com/), the Sarawak State Library’s children’s e-books
(http://www.ssl.sabah.gov.my/), or the Kuala Lumpur Public Library’s e-books
(http://kllibrary.dbkl.gov.my/client/ebooks).
E-reader Usage
E-readers, like in the Philippines, are not generally available. The same factors stated for the
Philippines—price, demand, profitability, and the saturation of competing smart phones—are
factors in Malaysia as well. Proprietary e-readers (Kindle, Nook, Nobo) can be purchased online
and shipped to Malaysia, but this additional inconvenience and expense hinder its appeal to the
general public.10 In 2009 MPH introduced Hanlin brand e-readers to Malaysia.11 Today, at
MPH’s e-reader device webpage, newer e-readers and other options are available:
http://www.esp4u.com/electronic/tablets.aspx E-reader usage is still growing, but may not take
of as long as other, cheaper and multifunction devices, can equally suffice.12
Urban vs. Rural
The information (and digital) divide between urban and rural citizens in Malaysia has been a
matter of attention for librarians and government officials in Malaysia for many years. Research,
projects, outreach and more have been conducted. For example, a 2005 initiative for internetconnected libraries in rural Malaysia.13 For e-readers, however, there is little evidence it reaches
the rural citizenry: the costs are prohibitive and the non-multi-functionality is unappealing.
Mobile technology has extended to rural areas, as cellular coverage is countrywide and useable
at even minimal incomes. Should e-reading extend to rural areas, it would do so via community
libraries or mobile phone/wifi capabilities.14
THAILAND
In Thailand, the issue of E-books/E-readers likewise introduces the issue of networks and
resource sharing.
Commercial Availability/Popularity
E-books. E-books are commercially available in Thailand. One of Thailand’s largest bookstore
chains—Asia Books—offers e-books on its website:
https://www.asiabooks.com/ThaiEBooksPage. In addition, several Thailand-based online e-book
vendors have arisen. These include Ookbee, the country’s largest15 e-book seller
(http://www.ookbee.com/), and E-books Thailand (http://www.ebooks.in.th/). Regarding
popularity, the e-book phenomenon is still emerging. Two detailed studies of Thai readership
and the potential e-reader market were conducted in 2013.16 There are issues that are barriers—
such as the resolution of Thai font on small screens, and the still-limited amount of Thai titles as
e-books—but once these improve, so will readership.17
E-readers. E-readers are available in Thailand. And surprisingly, even Amazon kindles, which
are unavailable in neighboring countries (see: http://kindle-thailand.in.th/). Prices of e-readers
vary. Kindles are actually slightly more than U.S. prices. But other e-readers can be found for
less. Like any economically stratified society, the prices will be possible for higher middle and
upper economic levels, but out-of-financial-range for the lower levels. .
E-book Networks
Thailand has several examples of library electronic resource sharing (e-resource networks), and
today, that includes e-books. Specifically:
 TK Park. The TK Park e-resource website is a knowledge portal established by the Thai
government in 2004. The site is a knowledge portal to many civic, cultural, practical, and
academic resources for Thai citizens. In particular, an e-library of thousands of e-books.
TK Park has some English, but mostly Thai. http://www.tkpark.or.th/eng/intro/
 ThaiLIS. ThaiLIS is the Thai Library Integrated System, and is a shared academic eresource network among member institutions. It primarily provides academic literature
(scholarly article databases), but also provides an e-library of thousands of books. An
overview is available in English18, but ThaiLIS is in Thai: http://www.thailis.or.th/
 PULINET. PULINET is the Provincial University Library Network. Previously its own
e-resource sharing network among provincial universities, it is now a part of ThaiLIS It
has an e-books page of thousands of e-books. http://pulinet.thailis.or.th/freeebook/
INDONESIA
In Indonesia, E-books/E-readers exist, in various platforms and locations, however, most of ebooks and e-readers are available in cities. The issue of accessibility—particularly economic
disparity of access versus non-access—is a concern, however, with the availability of Chinese
tablets, an increasing number of people enjoy e-books.
E-books: Library availability
National Library. The National Library of Indonesia subscribes to a list of e-book collections
together with e-journal databases for all users (http://e-resources.pnri.go.id/). These e-resources
are free for users who have registered as members.
Academic Libraries. In Indonesia, leading state academic libraries have e-books collections,
such as the University of Indonesia (http://lontar.ui.ac.id/opac/themes/green/), Universitas
Gadjah Mada library (http://beta.lib.ugm.ac.id/ind/?page_id=194), Bandung Institute of
Technology Library (http://www.lib.itb.ac.id/e-book), Bogor Agricultural Institute Library
(http://perpustakaan.ipb.ac.id/index.php/in/e-book/55-e-book), Airlangga University Library
(http://www.lib.unair.ac.id/index.php/pengumuman/314-e-books-collection), and North
Sumatera University Library (http://library.usu.ac.id/component/content/158.html?task=view).
Meanwhile, private universities develop their own e-book collections—for example, Islamic
University of Indonesia Library (http://library.uii.ac.id/artikel/panduan-akses-informasi/163akses-ebook.html), Bandung Islamic University Library (http://elibrary.unisba.ac.id/), and Bina
Nusantara University Library (http://library.binus.ac.id/. In addition, some companies also
support the availability of e-books by subscribing e-books for academic libraries
http://www.digilib.ub.ac.id/news/article.aspx?c=3&a=53
School libraries. Efforts to develop e-books for schools (for school children to download ebooks) were started more than 10 years ago. This project was conducted by the Ministry of
Education and Culture (see: http://bse.kemdiknas.go.id/). The main problem at that time was the
inadequacy of infrastructures in many parts of the country—Internet connection, computers, and
misunderstanding of e-books. This project was understood by parents that students could
download the e-books and then print them. Other parents photocopied the printed e-books.
Currently, the reading materials for students are available in both online and in print.
Public and special Libraries. There has been no significant development of collection and
services of ebooks in public and special libraries. The public library of East Borneo
(http://perpustakaan.kaltimprov.go.id/ebook-online/landing) and the POM special library
(http://perpustakaan.pom.go.id/) have small collections of e-books.
E-books/E-readers: Commercial availability
Booksellers. Some bookstores now also offer e-books for customers, while database
agents/distributors also sell e-books. Most of the e-books are in English and therefore, their
customers are mostly academic libraries and individuals. Most e-books from e-books database
distributors are in pdf format.
Some bookstores also sell e-readers, but Indonesian readers of e-books prefer tablets as e-readers
because they want the e-readers to have various functions especially for communication and
sharing resources. The IT shops sell e-readers and tablets but don’t sell e-books. The current
trend in sale shows that Chinese tablets are enjoyed by middle and lower-levels.
Publishers. The number of e-book publishers is still low in Indonesia and they have been
emerging only in recent years. E-bookindo is an example of a small publishers that sells e-books
in Indonesian. (http://www.ebookindo.net/) while Buku tablet is an example of e-book publisher
established in April 2012 in Yogyakarta (http://www.eduqo.com/2012/05/bukutablet-penerbitpemasar-dan.html).
The low number of e-book users is due to factors such as the users, language, and reading habits.
According to the Papataka e-book publisher, e-books in Indonesia are mostly enjoyed by
customers aged 18 to 35 years old. The publisher also acknowledged that most e-books are in
English, while those in Indonesian is limited in number.
(http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/archive/papataka-indonesias-first-digital-bookstore/).
E-books and e-readers are prospective, however. Buqu is another company that sells e-books and
has been successful in opening 14 bookstores. The company also builds partnerships with
university bookstores. (http://e27.co/ebooks-indonesia-get-boost-buqu). A different phenomenon
is shown by the establishment of Scanbuku. This company specializes for a book-digitizing
service in Jakarta http://www.scanbuku.com/
In all, e-books in Indonesia are an emerging market and the number of e-readers is increasing.
Currently, most e-books are in English and they are marketed in Indonesia. But the e-books in
Indonesian are growing too, especially since the Ministry of Education and Culture launched ebooks for Indonesian schools.
NOTES
1
Wireless@sg is a wireless broadband programme that aims to extend broadband access beyond
homes, schools and offices to public places in Singapore. Users can enjoy free, both indoor and
outdoor seamless wireless broadband access with speeds of up to 2 Mbps at public areas, such as
public libraries, community clubs, shopping malls and fast food outlets.
2
Infocommuncations Development Authority of Singapore, “Annual Survey on Infocomm
Usage in Households and By Individuals for 2012,” IDA, 2012,
http://www.ida.gov.sg/~/media/Files/Infocomm%20Landscape/Facts%20and%20Figures/Survey
Report/2012/2012HHmgt.pdf,
3
The 2012 Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage in Households revealed that more than 7 in 10
Singapore residents aged 60 years and above had never used a computer even though they had
access; similarly, about 73% of residents aged 60 years and above and two fifth of the residents
falling in the age group of “50-59 years” had not used the Internet before despite having access.
One of the most commonly cited reasons for not using the computer and internet was the lack of
knowledge, skills and confidence.
4
Tony Cole, “The Philippines Gets its First Ebook Online Ebook Shop—Flipreads,” eBookAnoid
(blog), November 15, 2011, http://www.ebookanoid.com/2011/11/15/the-philippines-gets-itsfirst-ebook-online-ebook-shop-flipreads/
5
Charles Tan, “Essay: eBook Piracy and Copyright in the Philippines,” Bibliophile Stalker
(blog), January 20, 2011, http://charles-tan.blogspot.com/2011/01/essay-ebook-piracy-andcopyright-in.html
6
Ma. Ceres P. Doyo, “Philippine E-books on the Way,” Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 18,
2011, http://opinion.inquirer.net/10139/philippine-e-books-on-the-way; Anna Valmero, “Filipino
Publisher Promotes E-books,” LoQal, August 2, 2012, https://ph.news.yahoo.com/filipinopublisher-promotes-e-books-094607151.html
7
UNESCO, Institute for Statistics, “Country Profiles: Philippines: Literacy,” UNESCO UIS,
2014, http://www.uis.unesco.org/DataCentre/Pages/countryprofile.aspx?code=PHL&regioncode=40515
8
Calvin Lo, “Is the Philippines Ready for e-Book Readers?” Pinoy Tech Blog, August 27, 2010,
http://www.pinoytechblog.com/archives/is-philippines-ready-for-e-book-readers
9
Malathi Letchumanan, Rohani Ahmad Tarmizi, “E-book Utilization Among Mathematics
Students of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM),” Library Hi Tech 29, no. 1 (January 2011), 109212 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1912305; A. Noorhidawati and
Forbes Gibb, “How Students Use E-Books—Reading or Referring?” Malaysian Journal of
Library & Information Science 13, no. 2 (December 2008): 1-14
http://umepublication.um.edu.my/filebank/published_article/2315/656.pdf; Ismail Roesnita and
A. N. Zainab, “The Pattern of E-Book Use amongst Undergraduates an Malaysia: A Case of to
Know is to Use,” Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science 10, no.2 (Dec 2005): 123 http://arxiv.org/abs/1301.5400
10
Tien Chew, “3 Ways to Buy Top E-Readers in Malaysia,” Leaping Post, November 13, 2013,
http://leapingpost.com/2013/11/11/3-ways-buy-e-readers-can-buy-malaysia-extra-effort/
11
Aznita Ahmad Pharmy, “MPH Brings in E-Reader,” The Edge, February 9, 2010,
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/media-a-advertising/159394-mph-brings-in-e-reader.html
12
Oon Yeoh, “E-Books Rising,” Digital Malaysia, February 2013,
http://www.digitalmalaysia.my/2013/02/e-books-rising/
13
Raslin Abu Bakar and Salbiah Mohammad Yusoft, “Rural Libraries as Agents of Social
Restructuring in Malaysia,” 284-302 (paper presented at the XIV Congress of Southeast Asian
Libraries Conference, Hanoi, Vietnam, April 20-23, 2009,
https://paarl.wikispaces.com/file/view/CONSAL%20XIV%20General%20Conference%20Proce
eding.pdf/439377106/CONSAL%20XIV%20General%20Conference%20Proceeding.pdf
14
In 2009 one of Malaysia’s major telecom cellular companies—Maxis—introduced e-books as
a smartphone app. Due to various reasons (expense of airtime to read, lack of enough e-books,
etc.) Maxis determined the e-book venture was not viable, and announced its discontinuation in
January 2014: https://www.ebuuk.com.my/mcm_portal/portal/maxisBookPortal/homePage.psml
15
Willis Wee, “Ookbee: Thailand’s Biggest Ebook Store on iOS and Android,” Tech in Asia,
August 7, 2012, http://www.techinasia.com/ookbee-thailand-biggest-ebook-store/
16
Patrick Fyock, Ron Lee, Bicky Prajapati, and Natalie Soper, “Thai Readership: Motivations
and Habits: Determining Marketability of a Dedicated E-reader, Web presentation by
ThailandeBooks.net, March 3, 2013, http://www.slideshare.net/InvestinPortland/thailand-ebooksmarket-research; Intage, “Future of E-book: Positive or Illusive?” Flash (newsletter), no. 13
(June 20, 2013), http://www.intage-thailand.com/upload/newflash/013_Future%20of%20ebook_Positive%20or%20Illusive_June_20-3-2013.pdf
17
Panich Gof, “The eBook Market in Thailand,” BB Ebooks, July 20, 2012,
http://bbebooksthailand.com/blog/thai-ebook-market.html
18
Narumol Ruenwai and Anne Morris, “Blueprint for Thailand: S&T Information Resource
Sharing,” Library Management 29, no. 4/5 (2008): 278-292,
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1727990; Government of Thailand,
Ministry of Education, Office of Information Technology Administration for Educational
Development, “The History of the Network ThaiLIS,” UniNet, 2013,
http://www.uni.net.th/UniNet/thailis_history.php (in Thai; use a web translator to English);
Chulalongkorn University Library, “Thai Library Integrated System,” CUL, December 15, 2006,
http://www.car.chula.ac.th/curef-db/thailis6.html