Building & Managing eBook Collections

Offering multiple perspectives from electronic resource professionals at world-renowned libraries this book provides a comprehensive and well-rounded e-book education.

Beginning with a short history of e-books and a review of the e-book publishing industry and its effect on library's selection and budget process, this new text provides a thorough treatment of collection development issues, including the selection process and development policies, the use of approval plans, patron-driven acquisition, and practical solutions for creating your e-book collection policies.

Chapters on budgeting and licensing covers ownership versus leasing models, the differences in licensing options from the major publishers and aggregators including information on digital rights management, and strategies for success in retention, access, and budgeting.

This practical and realistic book covers all aspects of this complex area including:

e-book purchasing models

file formats and publisher/aggregator e-book platforms

an examination of display devices (e-readers)

best practices in cataloguing e-books to include metadata

insight on incorporating value added features such as adding excerpts from the text, book covers, and links to related resources

guidance on library web page and online catalogue access

assessment and evaluation strategies, circulation statistics, print collection selection and usage, and user satisfaction.

You'll also gain valuable insight into the e-book's impact on the publishing industry, scholarly communication, and its integration into future technologies and social media. Six practical case studies offer real world scenarios and helpful tips for implementation in a variety of settings.

Readership: This book is a ready reference source for any library and information professional with an interest in e-books and their development. It is essential background reading for library managers wishing to develop an e-book collection from scratch or for those responsible for maintaining an existing e-book collection. It will also have plenty to interest publishers, who need to be aware of the issues faced by libraries managing e-book collections, and will be of great value to students of librarianship and information studies, and those on publishing related courses.