This document summarizes the mixed experience of ebooks at the University of Cambridge based on one institution's experience. It notes that the university has access to over 1.5 million ebooks across 41 different platforms, but that ebooks still have limitations and inconsistencies compared to print books. While ebooks can be useful for distance learning and portability, they lack features like notes, bookmarks and integrated links that are common in print. The proliferation of ebook platforms, formats, purchase models and lack of standardization creates challenges for libraries and users. The document suggests that future improvements may come through enhanced ebook functionality and new purchasing models, but current technology has not fully replaced print books.

1. STUCK IN THE
PRESENT: THE MIXED
BLESSING OF EBOOKS
JIBS EVENT
#JIBSUKebooks
Sarah Burton (@harasanotrub), Information
and Library Assistant, Judge Business School,
University of Cambridge
26 February 2016, The Venue, Student Central
Cambridge Judge Business School
Information and Library Services

3. Disclaimer:
This is a case study of the
University of Cambridge,
based on one institution’s
experience of ebooks

4. Facts:
We have access to:
41 different ebook platforms
1.5m ebooks and counting

5. We’re in all time periods at once:
• Jurassic
• Antiquity
• Dark Ages
• Medieval
• Renaissance
• Age of
Enlightenment/reason
• War
• The Future

8. Need ebooks:
• Complement
print
• Distance
learners
• Print
• Save
• Copy/Paste
• Easy
navigation
• Search text
• Citations
• Bibliography
• Try before buy
• Subscription
updates

9. Still just text

10. Library
catalogue
Shelf
marks
Integrated
links

12. Still allied to print:
• Notes
• Bookmarks
• Highlighting

13. Be enlightened
More than just
the text
Embrace
the digital
Etextbooks
Enhanced
functionality

14. See reason

17. Inundated by platforms (aggregators and
publishers), formats, purchase models, different
levels of access: credits, loan periods, concurrency,
functionality, prices and still lack of availability

19. Digital Divide
Concurrency
Loan periods MARC
records
Expertise
Platform proliferation
Compatibility
Formats
Models
Inconsistency
Devices

20. “Technology is a word for
something that doesn’t
work yet”
Douglas Adams

21. 21

22. 22

24. The Future
Increased prices with
better ebooks: rentals,
chapters, PDA/EBA

25. 25
“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you
are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace,
you are living in the present.” Lao Tzu

26. Media Music
Quizzes
Hyper
links

27. https://www.ted.com
/talks/mike_matas

29. Reading list
Ward, S. M., Freeman,
R. S. and Nixon, J. M.
(eds.) (2015) Academic
E-books, Publishers,
Librarians and Users
Lyons, R. E. and
Rayner, S. (2015) The
Academic Book of the
Future

30. All
30
IMAGES
Books vs. ebooks infographic by Number
17, NYC and Nayeli E. Rodriquez
All other images are free of copyright
restrictions. Sourced via Pixabay,
Unsplash and Gratisography

31. Sarah Burton:
sb729@cam.ac.uk
Twitter: @harasanotrub