1. SSP Annual Meeting: Making
Ebooks Work
June, 2005
Alix Vance, VP Business Development
Provided that end users are ready to embrace
online resources – including ebooks – how can
publishers navigate the complexities and meet
these consumers where they are, with business
models that are sustainable?
§ Distinctions between trade books/popular novels,
textbooks, reference works, monographs, and
primary source works are heightened in an online
environment.
§ Unique needs and expectations for each type of
ebook pose challenges in bringing ebooks to market
-- versus more similar ejournals.
ejournals.
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2. Usage
§ Research from Columbia University and the
Littman-Connaway-
Littman-Connaway-Duke study (2004) reports that
ebooks in libraries are indeed being used – in many
cases at greater rates than their print counterparts.
§ Columbia Evaluation Project (Summerfield,
Mandel, and Kantor) reference and non-reference
Kantor) non-
e-books were used more than the print versions of
the same titles. “[N]early three times as many
“[N]early
scholars clicked on the average online monograph
book as circulated its print version”.
As per the Littman-Connaway research: “most of
Littman-
the top subjects, social sciences, business, literature,
were used approximately as much in print as in e- e-
book format. Titles in education, medicine,
psychology, and computers were used more in e- e-
book format than in print.”
§ Ready market for digital delivery of text and a
growing willingness to read/do research/analyze
online.
§ Heavy usage of ebooks already; supported by
distance learning.
§ Student population already is well-disposed to using
well-
e-books. Technologically savvy students are
attuned to the efficiencies of online access versus
the pleasures of turning a page.
§ Online ebook use still supports printing and print
materials.
materials .
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3. Deal breakers for libraries when
dealing with e-vendors?
e-
§ Overly-
Overly-restrictive licensing agreements that inhibit the
easy flow and exchange of materials within their
institutions
§ Complicated search engines that present challenges to
remote authentication and networked environments
§ E -resources that aren't reliable and require a lot of
technical handholding to keep them up and running
§ Proprietary search engines that try to shoehorn users
into very linear search strategies
§ Lack of standardization in search interfaces, display and
formatting, and integration with library systems
Keys to success
§ Affordable ownership-
ownership- § Adequate and flexible
based pricing models rights for downloading,
§ Simultaneous use by printing, copying, and
multiple patrons sharing
§ Title availability across § Title by title acquisitions
disciplines (front and back and flexible alternatives to
list) at-or-near print release
at-or- annual subscriptions
§ Features not available in § Low learning curve with
print -- multimedia, full-
full- near-
near-immediate
text searching, markup, gratification, using readily
citations, linking available plug- ins and off-
plug- off-
the-
the-shelf software
§ Independence from
proprietary hardware § Convenient acquisition --
new title alerting and side-
side-
by-
by-side purchasing with
print
§ Also – seamless patron authentication, e-acquisition
e-
tools, OPAC integration via linked MARC records.
§ “Ultimately, the winners offer systems that play
nicely with others -- be it on open-URL issues or
open-
technical handshaking with ILS and other e-e-
resources.”
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4. Further consideration
§ "Web wants to be free” firmly entrenched in the
undergraduate psyche with limited understanding or
acceptance of revenue streams or costs associated with
producing and maintaining online resources.
§ Increasing pressure on business models to garner
revenue from add -on services – linking, archiving,
add-
online targeted search tools, short-term rental/pay -per-
short- rental/pay-per-
view, e-reserves – versus content pricing alone.
e-
§ Librarians have some willingness to mix and match
business and access models but also need to set
consistent patron usage expectations – difficult when
type of ebook and/or subject may dictate which
model(s)
model(s) work best.
In the world of the student web, publisher
reputation is less of an influence than what the user
wants and how easily they can get it. Product loyalty
has to be earned all over again in the digital world --
not be being different from everyone else, but by
being cooperative, collaborative, flexible, and
infinitely accessible.
alix.vance@eblib.com
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