Autumn Gathering 2011 Jean Inness

1. How South Ayrshire Libraries embraced
e Books

2.  What is an eBook service?
 How did we obtain one?
 Was it value for money?
 What does the future hold ?
 Frequently asked questions.

3.  eBooks are downloadable books which you can read and
audio books which you can listen to on a computer and /
or on a mobile device such as: an eBook reader, mobile
phone, iPod, iPad or MP3 player.

4.  The majority of libraries work with an ‘eBook aggregator’.
 We have a three year contract with Overdrive Inc.
 Overdrive negotiates all lending rights, copyright issues and
permissions with publishers and authors, on our behalf.
 The contract is comprised of two elements: stock purchase and
fixed-price software maintenance.
 We have contracted to buy a minimum of $5,000 of stock each year.

5.  Browse, check out, and
download with your library
card… anytime, anywhere!
 Download to a Windows® or
Mac® computer… and popular
mobile devices.
 Transfer to devices like the
Apple® iPod® and Sony®
Reader™.

6.  Library users can choose the lending period –
one, two or three weeks.
 eBooks and eAudio books can be requested.
Once the request is available to download,
an email will automatically be sent to the
customer.
 eBooks and eAudio books are automatically
deleted from the user’s device at the end of
the borrowing period.
 Easy to use, available 24/7, no late fees
 Our LMS allows our users to join online.

7. Download titles directly to your mobile
device with the Overdrive® Media Console
App from iPhone App store or Android
Market.
Compatible with
 Android
 Blackberry
 iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
 Windows mobile

8.  4th November 2009 conference call with Overdrive.
 24th November 2009 initial meeting with Council lawyers.
 20th January 2010 legal contract signed.
 25th January Overdrive appoints Ben Alcorn as Project Manager
 11th February Overdrive forms completed and returned.
 8th March visit from Claudia Weissmann and our first staff training.
 20th April meeting with our LMS supplier – Innovative Interfaces.

9. Once these steps were taken the real fun began!
 April / May 2010.
 Project implementation and staff training.
 eBook stock purchasing.
 Finding IT solutions.
 2nd June 2010 first marketing and advertising meeting.
 June 2010 testing of patron and catalogue links.
 15th June 2010 site live but not advertised or launched.
 1st July 2010 eBook service launched with full media coverage.

10.  The answer is a resounding “yes”!
 The service has raised the library profile in the local area.
 New users include many people who had previously thought that the library had
nothing to offer.
 It appeals to younger members – and our eBook Twilight series can’t
be lost / stolen or soaked in the bath!
 It is socially and geographically inclusive – nursing homes, the visually-impaired and
includes those that even the mobile library doesn’t reach!
 Shift workers.

11.  We currently have 877 eBook service users.
 We have issued nearly 5,000 downloads.
 Our opening stock was 228 titles.
 159 titles were eBooks, 70 eAudio books.
 eAudio books are as popular as eBooks.
 By March 2011 we had 611 titles.
 By March 2011 our e titles was 3730 - 0.7% of our total checkouts.
 We now have 880 eBooks and eAudio books, 19,529 Project Gutenberg.
 This includes 164 children’s / young adult titles.
 Our budget is £10,500 per year which is 6% of the Book fund.
 A further £5,000 is allocated from the IT budget for site maintenance.

12.  Overdrive statistical reports can tell us how our users accessed
our site and when they accessed our site.
 We created an online feedback form.
 Utilised our library blog to encourage users to provide comments
and participate in online surveys.
 Liaised with school librarians and school pupils.
 Our annual Reader’s Day included a talk and
demonstration on eBooks from an eBook publisher.

13.  Close relationship with Council
Communications Department.
 Overdrive has an excellent range of publicity
materials that can be customised.
 We conducted a “planned” campaign that
included: business cards, leaflets, book
marks, posters, bill boards, local radio
jingles and coverage by BBC, STV and local
press.
 Competitions and a range of ongoing
publicity on our Library Blog.
 Utilised Social Networking sites.
 Won Overdrive’s International Marketing
Award 2010 - $1,000 of credits.

14.  Much talk of the, “death of the printed book”.
 More books than ever are being published in paper form.
 With the ever-increasing number of eBooks being published, it
adds up to more words being written, published and read than
ever before.
 Consumer driven.
 We are all in a 24 / 7 virtual information age.
 Huge changes being asked of the publishing industry.
 E books / libraries / publishers / Amazon – new business model
required.

15.  Local Studies staff meeting June 2010
 Book chosen for publishing / criteria Beginning of June 2010
 Meeting with E converter Mid June 2010
 Quote from E convertor and agreement reaches End of June
 Proof copy from E convertor Beginning of August
 Cover agreed upon and digitally saved Mid August
 Price agreed and ISBN numbers assigned Mid August
 Account opened with LSI Mid August
 E files uploaded to LSI End of August
 E files uploaded to Amazon End of August
 Product due to be launched November 2011

16.  Big changes being asked of libraries – by their users!
 E publishing gives greater freedom to all would-be authors
to publish material.
 Libraries required to “signpost” users through the avalanche
of e materials now available.
 Libraries as e publishers.
 No title need ever be out of print.

17.  Whether eBooks or print books – questions are the same:
The cover design, the editing, the marketing, pricing, distribution.
Whether eBooks or print books for librarians the questions are the same:
Value for money, well written, would our users enjoy it.
 What about the non-digitally aware?
 The whole Amazon phenomenon.
 Bloomsbury Press and their
“bringing books back from the dead”
initiative.

18.  The number of books published as eBooks continues to grow.
 Many books are published in both formats.
 A growing number of universities and colleges have “e textbooks”.
 Good for the developing countries?
 Inter library loans?
 Publishers are still unsure of what business model to follow.
 A blurring of the roles of publishing / design / marketing / selling.
 Increased use of social media.
 Confused authors wondering what / how to publish.
 Role of libraries as publishers.
 Role of social media in marketing our services.
 Will there be print editions still available to buy?
 Print on Demand machines in libraries?

19.  Library Apps.
 QR Codes and Near Field Communication.
 Augmented Reality.
 E publishing of Local History materials.
 E textbooks for schools.
 18 months ago we had not considered any
of the above and now…
 What will we all be doing in the very near
future ?

20.  South Ayrshire Libraries are working in
conjunction with Solus UK to launch an
App in late Autumn2011.
 Direct access to Library site.
 Ability to use all aspects of the service.
 Branch specific if required.
 Travel information added.
 To appeal to South Ayrshire secondary
school pupils as each school library comes
on board with our LMS.

21.  South Ayrshire Libraries intends to publish two more eBooks – each
converted from print titles in our Local History Collection.
 Both titles will be ‘Monumental Inscriptions’ previously published as print
editions by South Ayrshire Libraries.
 Books will be sold as POD items and as eBooks on Amazon.
 Explore the possibility of Libraries becoming
publishers for community publications and
unpublished authors.

22.  Do we lend eBook readers? No
 What proportion of the book budget is devoted to eBooks? 6%
 What proportion of the issues are eBooks? 0.7%
 Do you charge for eBooks ? No
 Most popular downloads: Stieg Larsson, James Patterson, Kathy Reichs
 Our top 50 downloads include titles by: Stephanie Meyer, Anthony Horowitz
Jacqueline Wilson
 Checkouts to October 2011 5329, including 543 downloads of children’s / young adult
titles.
 What formats can be downloaded? MP3, WMA, ePUB, PDF, Movies and Music
Jean Inness, South Ayrshire Libraries
October 2011