From: Ivy Anderson <Ivy.Anderson_at_ucop.edu>
RE: what we know about device-based use and preferences:
The California Digital Library conducted a survey of mobile use in 2010
-- the report is available at
http://www.cdlib.org/services/uxdesign/docs/CDL_Mobile_Device_User_Research_final.pdf.
This was not specifically oriented toward e-readers. Major findings
were that most users did not read academic content on mobile devices and
that we aren't at a tipping point for such use, but there is a
significant minority of such use that is growing and bears watching.
This pre-dated the release of the iPad.
Another user survey of ebook use that we conducted last fall is
currently being analyzed and written up. About 30% of respondents who
used ebooks do seem to want access on mobile or e-reading devices,
corroborating the trend noted in the mobile report. Anecdotally, we
hear from public service librarians that users often do ask questions
about ebook access with a device-based paradigm in mind, i.e. this is
the delivery format they seem to be expecting.
Right now we're mainly monitoring these trends rather than taking a
formal position about supporting device-based access. I think it's very
unlikely that we would prefer leased DRM-based access as a replacement
for building permanent collections, although it may find its place in
the same way that full-text aggregators have a place alongside content
licenses that include perpetual rights.
I'd be interested in other responses to Bryan's questions.
Ivy
Ivy Anderson
Director of Collections
California Digital Library
University of California, Office of the President
office: (510) 987-0334
cell: (510) 852-4274
fax: (510) 287-3825
ivy.anderson_at_ucop.edu <mailto:ivy.anderson_at_ucop.edu>
http://cdlib.org <http://cdlib.org/>
*From:*owner-COLLDV-L_at_usc.edu [mailto:owner-COLLDV-L_at_usc.edu] *On Behalf
Of *Lynn Sipe
*Sent:* Wednesday, April 06, 2011 11:11 AM
*To:* COLLDV-L_at_usc.edu
*Subject:* CDL- Devices?
*From: *
Skib, Bryan <bskib_at_umich.edu> <mailto:bskib_at_umich.edu>
Now that many academic libraries are spending significant funds to
acquire ebooks, usually in PDF, what will we do to make them accessible
to a wide variety of devices? Kindle, iPad and smart phones all seem
important, but there is other equipment now, with more to follow. iPads
can handle PDFs, although many academic ebooks are broken into chapters,
and some users may prefer to download as a whole. Apps may be (or
become) available to handle some conversion of PDF to epub. I would
appreciate your thoughts on the following:
1. Are you now doing anything to support downloading of licensed content to ereaders or other devices?
2. How much do you know about local campus interest in reading licensed content on devices?
3. Are you lobbying with publishers to support end user access to multiple ebook formats? Do we need to do this? Will apps save the day, if they can convert from one format to another?
4. Should we all spend less on permanent, campus-wide access for ebooks that become part of our collection, and more on DRM-enriched single-user access, which may be short-term?
As someone whose library spent a great deal migrating from microprint, to fiche, and then to digital facsimiles of the fiche -- I'm hoping we won't have to do that again to support a variety of digital formats.
Thanks,
Bryan Skib
Associate University Librarian for Collections
818 Hatcher Library
University of Michigan
(734) 936-2366
Received on Sat Apr 09 2011 - 03:06:39 EDT