The eBook and its impact on modern libraries

Nicole Forsythe, a current master's student at the Graduate of Library Information and Science, writes a wonderful article on the eBook's impact on modern libraries. She poses an important question: do eBooks really provide added value to our libraries? What about libraries that actively choose to discard their entire printed book collection, in favor of eBooks? How does the advent of electronic resources reshape the role of modern libraries? How should we respond to this?

I highly encourage you to read her post on this matter. You can find her post here:

http://nicolibrarian.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/library_without_books/

Now... on to my response:

When libraries consider adopting eBooks as a new format, we need to consider access as a major deciding factor. When the Cushing Academy library replaced its entire print collection with 18 Kindles (http://j.mp/bJF2jB), it created a situation where that collection could only serve 18 patrons at a time. They also locked themselves into a specific eReader notorious for consumer rights problems. Last year, Amazon remotely deleted copies of George Orwell's 1984 from Kindles across the world, without consent of the customers (http://j.mp/aYWGGE). We create a situation in which we surrender direct control over our collections to outside corporate interests, who may not share - or even fully understand - our interests.

But I set consumer rights issues aside - with great reluctance. What would incorporating (or completely switching to) eBooks and electronic resources mean to patrons? It will have its costs and benefits. I want to spend a moment comparing the concept of eBooks to our current approach to electronic serials subscriptions, to see if we can extract some wisdom from that.

"In the library with the lead pipe" (http://j.mp/bT9hmV) is an excellent blog that challenges so many current assumptions about libraries. Whether or not you ultimately agree with them, it's still a valuable read. They posted an article about serials subscriptions, asking the question about if it's really all that much cheaper to switch to electronic access. Their answer: not as much as one would hope (http://j.mp/byLiuc). There is much to learn from their post, but I do confess that my transitional argument from electronic serials to electronic monographs is not as smooth as I would hope for it to be.

What Forsythe has said about adding value rings true, and the serials article seems to agree with this. The cost associated with preservation issues must be weighed against the value gained when patrons can suddenly access resources 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Students can conduct research even when the library doors are closed. Apply that same level of access to eBooks, and patrons suddenly have round-the-clock access to an amazing literary world never before imaginable. Add to that subscription access to music, TV shows and movies. Simply amazing, right? (Let us momentarily suspend all mention of copyright law. It is relevant, but not so relevant to my point).

If eBooks are to enhance the value of our collections, it must be accessible to as wide of a base of patrons as possible. The simple argument can be made that 10,000 books on the shelf can be accessed by 10,000 simultaneous patrons. One eBook reader with 10,000 books on it can only be accessed by one patron at a time. Immediately, the Kindle seems less appealing, since Kindle books are directly tied to the device.

If we have a database which allows patrons to download titles to desktop computers, laptop computers, or eBook readers, then we are no longer tied down to a particular device. Additionally, we gain that coveted 24-hour access. But then, we have to jump through hoops to finally get the book we want. Many eBook vendors require that patrons install proprietary software before using said content, and some will fail to support specific electronic devices in their subscription model. iPod and Zune owners historically have trouble accessing audio books online, for example.

If we expect more patrons to adopt library eBook services, we must ensure that it remains easy to use. It needs to be at least as easy as it would be to pick up a print book off the shelf. They need to provide access to the same number of concurrent users as our print collections do. We also need to evaluate eBook usage to ensure that we fund a service that patrons actually use. If it fails to catch on, we must explore possible reasons for that. If it does catch on, then we must recognize that improved access to literature represents added value in itself.

I do advocate that we should fight for long-term preservation. On the other hand, our first priority should be to get the material into the hands of patrons. If nobody actually uses the resources which we provide, then our collection has no value whatsoever.

Next episode: patron privacy rights, consumer rights, preservation.

References:
Libraries with/out walls. What is a library without books? A true story in two acts, by Nicole Forsythe.
Boston Globe. Welcome to the library. Say goodbye to the books, by David Abel
Ars Technica. Why Amazon went Big Brother on some Kindle e-books, by Ken Fischer
In the Library with the Lead Pipe. A Look at Librarianship through the Lens of an Academic Library Serials Review, by Annette Day and Hilary Davis.