This article is from the May 2003 issue of Update.
Free and subscription e-book services have traditionally been the domain of academic libraries. However, in the last few years e-book services have emerged in the public library sector and been provided successfully. The first such services have been tried and tested mainly in North American and Australian public libraries — Vancouver Public Library, Seattle Public Library, Virginia Public Library, Victorian Libraries are only a few examples.
The People’s Network Excellence Fund has encouraged library authorities in the UK to explore, plan and deliver new electronic services. Many are now considering the implementation of e-book services; Richmond, thanks to a successful bid for funding to PNEF, is the first UK local authority to pilot them.
Why e-books?
Online library services are growing rapidly and are being welcomed by users. Services such as Infotrac and Xrefer are already available remotely to many library members, traditional library services such as reservations and renewals can be accessed from home and, increasingly, personalised interactive services are available remotely and through People’s Network terminals.
E-books go a step further, representing, in theory, unlimited access to library collections, from anywhere with an internet connection, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
There are many reasons for public libraries to take e-books seriously as a means of developing services. An e-book service helps deliver current public library agendas in the areas of lifelong learning, access to information, social inclusion and partnership working.
- Overdues, fines and long reservation lists for books in high demand do not occur with e-books, which means lower administration costs and the removal of the negative aspects of penalising users.
- E-books cannot be stolen, lost or damaged, thus ensuring maximum accessibility of stock.
- E-books are more environmentally friendly in terms of production and distribution processes.
- Some e-book providers offer second- and foreign-language materials, literature and textbooks. Richmond’s e-book pilot collection covers English titles at the moment, but foreign-language books will be considered in the future. Material in minority languages can be offered in response to local need.
- E-books give housebound users greater personal choice and immediate access to titles.
- Remote access means 24/7 availability of e-books to the hard-to-reach 18-35 group, who want to access material from home outside library hours.
- E-books will appeal to teenagers and students, who can access texts without having to come into the library.
- Some e-book providers such as Safari Tech Books Online offer facilities to swap old editions for new ones. This ensures currency of stock and is especially useful for materials containing rapidly changing content, such as ICT books.
- E-book formats facilitate the exploitation of locally held, out-of-copyright material (e.g. local history material) and provide the opportunity to develop the library service as a publisher of locally produced materials.
- Online e-book services can potentially be developed through co-operation and partnerships to provide local, regional and possibly national collections.
Web-based e-books enhance the reference and research material provided by a public Library. Richmond does not expect a library user to sit down in front of a People’s Network terminal to read a bestseller but feels confident that access to online non-fiction, classics and reference e-books, with facilities for text searching, bookmarking and adding notes, will benefit a range of users and current non-users.
Web-based e-book services are consistent with the objectives set out in Richmond’s Annual Library Plan for 2002. These objectives include: developing accessible services that encourage participation in lifelong learning; improving user satisfaction; developing new audiences; and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of library services.
Richmond is subscribing to NetLibrary1 and Safari Technical Books Online,2 both leading online e-book suppliers.
NetLibrary is one of the most popular e-book providers worldwide and is increasingly being used by UK universities. It is also an established provider among public libraries overseas. NetLibrary’s subject coverage is wide, though currently the collections have a strong US bias. Only material consistent with UK/European practice and terminology is selected by Richmond. The resulting titles mainly cover ICT, business and management and psychology. As the British market for NetLibrary develops, the provider will introduce more titles suitable for UK readers and, it is hoped, Richmond’s e-book collection will grow.
NetLibrary includes facilities that enable users to create personal accounts, where they can add and store favourites, bookmarks and notes as well as ‘check out’ e-books. When a user checks out a NetLibrary book, they will have unique access to this copy for the period of time established by the library (Richmond’s checkout period is currently 24 hours and may be increased according to user demand). The principle is the equivalent to browsing a copy of a book from the shelf. The book will only be available for somebody else once the first user has put it back on the shelf.
Other attractive NetLibrary features include a comprehensive free collection of more than 3,000 out-of-copyright classic titles in literature and history, and instant access to an online dictionary.
Safari Technical Books Online offers popular ICT and management titles from prestigious publishers as a joint venture between the Pearson Technology Group and O’Reilly & Associates. Many of the titles are in high demand by Richmond Libraries’ users. Safari is a valuable tool for IT professionals, students, the home PC user and local small businesses, providing instant access to the equivalent of a 005 public library bookshelf on their desktop wherever they are.
Implementing new e-book services
Richmond library service had researched e-book services and their potential for public libraries in spring 2002, before bidding for the PNEF grant. The implementation consisted of:
Choosing e-book formats and providers.
The factors that determined Richmond’s choice were ease of access to e-books, whether they were web-based or via hand PDAs, the range of titles available, the cost of maintenance of any extra devices, suitability of the product for the end-user and subscription terms and conditions.
Safari and NetLibrary were chosen because they are relatively easy to access, maintain and deliver. Their e-books cover subject areas of general interest and they do not require extra devices or equipment other than a PC with an internet connection. They are easily accessible by anyone with basic web browsing skills and can be easily accessed remotely.
Selecting titles.
The stock selection team chose the titles from NetLibrary. With Safari, various potential user groups, for example Corporate ICT staff, were invited to select titles of interest to them. These were combined into a starter list for the initial collection which was finalised by the stock selection team. Safari titles which are little used can be swapped for other titles, so take-up of titles will be closely monitored and changes to the stock made as required.
Resolving the technical issues.
Two issues needed to be addressed. First, how to restrict use to Richmond Library members and second, how to enable remote access via the Richmond Borrower Information site. Assistance was required from the technical support sections of both Safari and NetLibrary, and our library system supplier, DS Ltd. A further technical development planned is to incorporate the e-book titles into the online catalogue.
Training and involving staff.
Training is essential not only to keep front-line library staff abreast of new developments of interest to their users but also to ensure they understand and can manage the impact that the new services may have on their daily work.
A series of half-day training sessions was delivered during the weeks prior to the official launch of the service. Forty per cent of staff attended the sessions voluntarily and 84 per cent of them are positive about the potential for the service. They, in turn, have cascaded their knowledge to their colleagues on site. Interested staff gave the demonstration sessions at the launch and are now providing taster sessions of the service.
Developing evaluation processes.
Quantitative and qualitative evaluation will be undertaken. Take-up rates of titles, repeat visits, accounts opened and maintained, browsing patterns, borrowing patterns and site accesses will be monitored. Feedback forms will be provided online and individual users and account holders will be surveyed. Participants in taster sessions will be asked to evaluate the services from their perspective and to give feedback on subsequent use.
Launching the service.
The official e-books launch took place on 24 March 2003. The event represented a networking exercise, where Richmond library service could share its e-book implementation experience with other departments within the council, with other public library authorities and with the sponsors NOF and Resource.
Publicising the service.
The e-book services will be advertised to users and non-users in Richmond upon Thames through the media, posters, leaflets, user guides and a website. All these will contain the basic information and tools needed to access and use the service. The comments of users during the first six months are essential for future assessment, improvement and development of the service.
Monitoring and assessing the impact
on the library service.
These new services represent an addition to the current responsibilities of staff. Users will expect to receive help in using them. Staff will also need to undergo regular training as online e-book technology progresses. E-books provision is likely to affect acquisition and stock selection policies, stock budget distribution and overall stock management. If e-book services prove popular with Richmond users, they will become an integral part of the library service. Sustainability of the new service will need to be addressed, both in terms of staffing and financial support.
Threat to existing library collections?
E-books are a new delivery method for library collections and some users may find them an unnecessary service. While e-books will be particularly appealing to some users in terms of unlimited 24/7 access, they can also alienate those who are not confident enough to use the internet, or who feel e-books are a threat to existing library collections. It is up to the library service to market e-book services to appropriate user groups and to balance the future acquisition and delivery of e-book collections and the acquisition of printed books according to user demand.
The major e-book suppliers are currently US-based. In the UK rights and licensing restrictions must be considered. E-book providers and librarians in the UK must be aware of rights and licensing restrictions; in time, as the British market grows, e-book providers will adapt their services to cover our specific needs. The perception that anything published will be available in electronic format may raise expectations which cannot be satisfied.
The future of e-books in Richmond
In the UK, People’s Network usage statistics prove that we are living in an increasingly ICT-literate society. With PC prices very competitive, home PC ownership is spreading rapidly and people are becoming accustomed to having access to various online services, from banking and shopping to emerging e-government services. Library users in Richmond are not immune to the online service delivery revolution and therefore online full-text public library collections should not come as a surprise.
Even though it is still too early to forecast the longer term future of e-book services in Richmond upon Thames, the borough sees e-books as an innovative way of delivering library collections to users, within the library service’s objectives framework. These remote library collections offer unlimited access to users at their convenience, with minimal input from staff in terms of administering the service. E-books complement printed collections and can cut costs in terms of hard copy purchases, replacement of lost, stolen or damaged items and administration fees.
This innovative pilot raises questions about the nature of public library services, particularly in relation to building-based services, opening hours and access to collections. It carries the potential to provide greater support to those undertaking remote or distance learning, to those with limited mobility or special needs and to those whose lifestyle precludes library use at conventional times. E-book provision also opens the door to collaborative ventures, including consortia purchase to provide greater choice and access to larger collections on a regional, or even national, basis.
References
1 www.netlibrary.com
2 http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/
Monica Vidana is e-book Project Manager at Richmond upon Thames (m.vidana@richmond.gov.uk)