Facilitator: Michael Peper
Note-taker: Linda Galloway
Problems
Cataloging is a widespread problem, cannot understand why it can’t get straightened out. Duplicate records and confusing records abound. We cannot get records from some books. Items do not get uploaded to the catalog regularly; sometimes not at all. Discovery records are dirty and don’t meet cataloger’s standards. It is frustrating to not get eBooks in the catalog.
Consortia books took 8 months to get in the catalog. If records are not in the catalog, books can/will be ordered twice.
Up-to-date excel lists of records are desirable.
Siam eBooks – updated versions and took old version offline.
When content is removed from a package of eBooks, emails are often sent to the person who signed the license. Often this is not the best approach as someone has to take the initiative to remove records from the catalog.
Publishers that work well
- Springer – good records and easy to buy a personal copy
- Morgan & Claypool
Usage
How do users find eBooks? Google, Google scholar,
COUNTER for eBooks is only one year old
DDA triggers, download chapter, looks, uses,
Some libraries buy one-off titles from the publisher’s platforms, generally like these platforms better. More hands-on library time is required for this.
Needs
We need more people and more astute acquisitions employees.
Knovel – held hostage by publisher restrictions so users cannot print or download certain books, Wiley content removed 3/31/14.
Rich from Proquest explained that authors can pull their books from packages if they want.
Copyright for books is different from journals.
MARC records make books more discoverable in SUMMON.
Serials Solutions product to manage eBooks – in production: Intota – http://www.serialssolutions.com/en/services/intota
ExLibris’ Alma – manage eBooks – http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/category/AlmaOverview
IOP – big issue with differences in British & American licenses
How do we help users navigate eBooks? LibGuides; we should not have to teach users how to read eBooks.
Some mentioned that they have large monographic budgets (more money than they can spend). Wish to shift some funds to journal pkgs but these are continuing funds and come out of different pools of money.
In sum:
- Many reported problems with the discovery and access of eBooks.
- Frustration that records are not added to our catalogs promptly.
- Frustration that there are so many platforms, access models and various restrictions.
- A need for the library community to band together and demand better access models and more consistency among service providers.
- We also need useful, affordable tools to manage eBooks.
- What is the best way to teach (?!) people to use eBooks?
STELLA Unconference 