E-books in academic libraries: How does currency affect usage?

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study model(s) of acquiring e-books to support: effective support of learning and teaching; and efficient use of collection budget. Design/methodology/approach – The research was based on: five years of usage data from two e-book packages: Net Library and Safari; two methods of acquisition: NetLibrary was a one-time purchase; Safari was purchased on a subscription; usage difference or lack of difference over time between packages; and controlled for content subjects in both packages. Findings – The research found that: Safari (with updates) showed increased usage over time; NetLibrary (without updates) showed generally declining usage over time; and controlling NetLibrary subject content showed that usage in the science and technology area declined noticeably over the years; while education, history, social sciences, literature and language usage decline was steady. Research limitations/implications – Title counts in both packages were similar; however, after isolating for matching subject areas the numbers of titles in NetLibrary were small. Therefore, one or two titles in a small population may have skewed the pattern, making the results less accurate. Practical implications – Understanding whether and in which subject areas students and faculty use e-books means effective selection decision and good use of shrinking budgets. Originality/value – Usage data over five years provided evidence on which to base subscription/purchase decisions to effectively support learning and teaching and use collection funds wisely. Analyzing the usage figures will inform selection of e-books to support learning and teaching. © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited