E-books in Libraries

e-books in librariesBooks in digital formats have been around for decades, but until now there has never been a comprehensive overview to help librarians navigate the maze of formats and delivery options they are faced with.  This year, the library science section of the NHBS catalogue has grown by several volumes on the subject.  One of them, a title published by Facet Publishing, has caught my eye:

E-books in Libraries:  A Practical Guide is an excellent all-round introduction to the subject, and should prove very popular with librarians in all types of libraries. The chapters provide practical information on collection development, pricing and delivery models, digitisation, technological challenges, user training and more. The contributors are based mainly in the UK, and include a publisher as well as librarians and information professionals.  The subject coverage and the wealth of practical information covered by this title are very impressive.

E-books in Libraries provides an illuminating chapter towards the end, where all contributors are asked to speculate freely on the future of e-books and publishing. This section makes for a fascinating read, and provides food for thought for anybody who is involved in the dissemination of information.

The beautiful irony of this title is that it is not available in electronic format – yet (this is planned for the near future). The publisher helpfully provides the first chapter as a pdf-file to read here.

Other related titles of interest include Collection Development in the Digital Age (also by Facet and due in August), and e-books in Academic libraries by Chandos Publishing.

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