>
> From:
> "Anderson, Helen" <handerson_at_library.rochester.edu>
>
>
> Apologies for cross-posting with the collib-l list.
>
> Hello,
>
> In addition to my work as a librarian, I’m on the editorial board of a
> small academic humanities publisher. To date, they have been supplying
> only their backlist titles as ebooks. They submit a disclaimer that
> reads “ Some images in the printed version of this book are not
> available for inclusion in the eBook. To view the images on this page
> please refer to the printed version of this book.” In other words,
> they do not have the electronic rights for all the illustrations.
>
> Now, they would like to move further into the field of ebooks. Rather
> than only supplying backlist titles, they intend to release front list
> titles within 60 days of the printed book release. Securing electronic
> rights to all the illustrations at the same time as securing the print
> rights, would increase the price of the book.
>
> They want to know how librarians feel about purchasing eBooks that
> don’t have the same number of illustrations as the printed version?
> They would like to understand what concerns and reactions librarians
> have regarding this.
>
> I gave a fairly nuanced response to my contact, saying that it
> depended on the title. To save a bit on the price, I reasoned, it
> might be OKAY not to have all the illustrations. When it comes to
> humanities, I usually buy the print first and the ebook later in order
> to provide a greater number of students and faculty. This is a
> reflection feedback I’ve had from our humanities faculty. Yes, they
> want to use stuff from their desktop, but they still want us to have
> the print in the collection. So if the ebook is seen as supplementary
> to the print, maybe it’s OKAY to have it without all the illustrations.
>
> Now that I think it over, I can see that this is a slippery slope.
> This is the reasoning of someone who is trying to make her dwindling
> budget go as far as possible. Wouldn’t this just increase confusion?
> Wouldn’t it consign the ebook to a lesser status in relation to the
> print? What is the book anyway? Shouldn’t the author be deciding in
> conjunction with the editor which illustrations should be included? If
> the illustrations are lacking, doesn’t that change the nature of the
> book? And what about cost?
>
> Where is the answer? I would love to hear your thoughts and so would
> my publisher.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Helen
>
> Helen Anderson
>
> Head, Collection Development
>
> River Campus Libraries
>
> University of Rochester
>
> Rochester, NY 14627-0055
>
> Tel. 585-275-3302
>
Received on Thu Apr 01 2010 - 03:08:00 EDT