Lisa -
Something to keep in mind as you shop ebook vendors is the availability of
usage information. Once we started getting heavily into ebooks, more
questions arose as to usage - which platforms were used more, what are cost
per us numbers for some ebook packages, etc. Vendors provide usage data
differently, although COUNTER reports are becoming more the norm. We
currently use EBL, ebrary and Ebsco. I find the most usage-gathering
flexibility in EBL's admin module, but all will provide usage reports.
We also use our primary book vendor to buy many of our ebooks through these
ebook providers. We used to buy direct from each of those ebook vendors,
and for the occasional special order, we still do. But for the volume of
ebooks we buy and the workflow savings we would gain, it made sense for us
to use our book vendor in the mix. This helped streamline ordering and
invoicing, primarily. It also allowed us to easily apply our existing
approval profile to firm order ebooks as well as a DDA plan we've had
running for 2 years now. There are still some differences between vendors
with regard to the MARC record workflows.
You may also want to consider the *quality* of the MARC records vendors
provide. Catalogers and librarians have differing opinions about the
quality of ebook MARC records, and if this is a sensitive issue in your
library, you can ask for MARC samples from the vendors to help your
decision.
Any other questions, feel free to email me. We've been buying ebooks since
2002 and have gained a wide variety of experiences in that time. Hope it
goes well for you.
Carole
*Carole Correa-Morris
University Library Head of Acquisitions
San Jose State University
408-808-2372
Carole.Correa-Morris_at_sjsu.edu*
On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 1:35 PM, <acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:
> Lisa,
>
> Clearly you want an academic e-book vendor. There are four major players,
> ebrary, EBook Library, EBSCOhost, and MyiLibrary (perhaps soon to be three
> if EBL and ebrary merge). They differ mostly in reading platform features
> and lending models. While there are some differences in content, they
> overlap heavily. As a rule, publishers make decisions about what is
> released as an e-book and, having made that decision, want as broad a
> relase as possible. Pricing is also similar across the board.
>
> My best advice would be to contact reps from these companies and arrange
> for presentations and demos. You want to know whose platform best meets
> the needs of your patrons and which fits best into your purchasing and
> cataloging workflows.
>
> Hope that gets you started.
>
> best,
>
> --Forrest
>
> Forrest E. Link
> Acquisitions Librarian
> The College of New Jersey Library
>
> linkf_at_tcnj.edu
> 609.771.2412
> 609.637.5177(fax)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> To: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> Sent: Tuesday, March 5, 2013 1:45:31 PM
> Subject: [ACQNET-L] recommendations re: e-books
>
> Our library is researching e-book vendors for the first time. If anyone
> here on the list has recommendations as to what features we should look for
> in a plan, or any other recommendations at all, I would appreciate it if
> you would reply.
>
>
> The following information about our holdings is from our website:
>
> "The particular strengths of the Bishop Payne Library collection are in
> the areas of biblical studies, church history, theology, the Protestant
> Reformation, missions, and liturgics. It is a major resource for the study
> of Anglicanism. The collection includes source materials from many of the
> provinces and dioceses of the international Anglican Communion.
>
> The library collection numbers over 225,000 volumes of books and bound
> periodicals, 6,800 microforms and 600 music compact discs. The library
> receives 900 current journals, periodicals, and newspapers in print and
> subscribes to over 29 computer research databases of indexes and full-text
> journal articles."
>
> Lisa Williams
> Technical Services Librarian
> Bishop Payne Library, Virginia Theological Seminary
> Alexandria, Va.
>
> 703 461-1795
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> ACQNET-L mailing list
> ACQNET-L_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/acqnet-l
>
> --
> Forrest E. Link
> Acquisitions Librarian
> The College of New Jersey Library
>
> linkf_at_tcnj.edu
> 609.771.2412
> 609.637.5177(fax)
>
> _______________________________________________
> ACQNET-L mailing list
> ACQNET-L_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/acqnet-l
>
_______________________________________________
ACQNET-L mailing list
ACQNET-L_at_lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/acqnet-l
Received on Fri Mar 08 2013 - 12:49:47 EST