Young Adult Use of Ebooks

Gray, R. & Howard, V. (2017, May 11). Young adults use of ebooks: An analysis of public library services and resources. Public Library Quarterly 36(3). Retreived from https://doi-org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.1080/01616846.2017.1316149

In their survey of teen / young adult librarians across North America, Robyn Gray and Vivian Howard found that most librarians believe there is little to no interest in ebooks among the teen patrons they service at their libraries. However, these authors believe that the programming and promotion of ebooks is being done all wrong. Instead of focusing on advertising the titles and procedures for using the ebooks, libraries should be informing teenagers of the benefits of reading an ebook. Many teenagers are self-conscious about the types of books they read, or their reading level. By reading ebooks they can have more privacy, since their peers are not able to see the books they are reading. There are many advantages, and many disadvantages, to reading ebooks discussed in the books. However, one advantage that I can think of is the ability for students to immediately search for the definition of a word they do not understand, assisting in their vocabulary development and reading comprehension. There are many reasons that teenagers should have the option of ebooks in their accessible library collections.

Embracing Ebooks : Acquisition and Collection Development Landscape in Philippine Academic Libraries

Sexton, Rachael

Janice D.C. Peñaflor, & Justina Garcia. (2017). Embracing Ebooks : Acquisition and Collection Development Landscape in Philippine Academic Libraries. Journal of Educational Media & Library Sciences, 54(2), 221-232.

Academic libraries became early adopters of e-books.  Some libraries are adopting an approach that prioritizes e-books over physical books.  Philippine academic libraries are also embracing e-books.  This article focuses on acquisition and not on evaluating the collection based on e-book usage.  The authors got their information from a 9-question survey.  Of the 39 Universities sent the survey, 27 responded.  Some of the Universities, amounting to 30%, did not have any e-books.  Another 37% had less than 100 e-book titles.  Libraries need to revise their collection development policy to include e-books.  Among the libraries surveyed, 32% had not added e-books to their collection development policy.  There are matters of budget to be considered as some e-books cost more than their print counterparts.  Over half of the respondents said that 5% of their budget went towards e-books.  Finding the right acquisition model can be challenging.  Less than half of the libraries said that they prefer choosing title by title versus buying packages.  Perpetual access to the e-books was favored by 63% of the libraries.  Consortia help to improve the pricing and simplify business relationships.  Libraries in the Philippines are practicing being a part of consortia.  However, almost 80% of libraries in the Philippines are not part of a consortia.  The major deterrent for not acquiring e-books is that it requires good internet connection.  A lack of standard file format is also a hindrance. 

Evaluation:  This was an interesting article about the current state of e-books and libraries in the Philippines.  The most surprising thing to me was the fact that only 5% of their budget was spent on e-books.  That seems like a small percentage to me.  This article would definitely be useful for other countries just starting out in acquiring e-books. 

Solving the Self-Published Puzzle.

Macchio, Monica

Landgraf, G. (2015).  Solving the Self-Published Puzzle.  American Libraries, 46 (11/12), 44-47.  Retrieved from http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?

 Summary

     This article from 2015 highlights the problems that public libraries are faced with when local authors want to have their items included in collections.  One of the public libraries mentioned is in Canada.  The staff at the Glen Ellyn Public Library has decided to include some self-published books only if they don’t have books on those topics.  The library launched a makerspace area to facilitate the creation of these materials. 

     Another library profiled is Mulnomah County Library in Oregon.  This library partnered with an e-book self-publishing platform called Smashwords.  Since Smashwords has a partnership with OverDrive, the library’s e-book vendor, it helps make purchasing these titles easier and less time-consuming.  In 2015, about 2,000 people were visiting the library’s Overdrive site per day.  Another stipulation that is placed on the self-published author is that these items must be donated to the library.  Librarians will then provide original cataloging to provide bibliographic records for these self-published works.  The library had 300 requests per year from self-published authors, but it accepts significantly less works. 

Evaluation

     The author, David Landgraf is a regular contributor to American Libraries magazine.  I liked his use of typewriter graphics because it was a reminder that not all self-published authors know the latest tools to use when creating their works.  I liked his touch of including the hot topic of Makerspaces to showcase the partnerships created between Public Libraries and the communities these writers live in.  He used quotes sparingly yet effectively to engage my attention. 

Apps- e-books and audio books

Apps for free e-books and audio books from your library.


https://app.overdrive.com/

https://www.hoopladigital.com/

The User Is (Still) Not Broken

Fox, Leslie

Kenny, B. (2014) The User is still not broken, LJ

Summary

Kenny points out in this article that while both are growing, e-book borrowing, is growing beyond print book borrowing. Now that the excitement about e-books has settled down, people have adjusted to using them are not ready to give up print books. Patrons have preferences, some for e-books, some for audiobooks and others for print. It often depends on what they are going to be doing (traveling on a plane, long commute) or what’s going on in their life. Some still recoil at the thought of reading on a tablet rather than in a print book. Kenny states that e-book sales have flattened in the last year [2014] and in the then recent PEW research the number of adults who reported reading an e-book grew only slightly, from 23% to 28%. He goes on to say that the real focus needs to be on service to our patrons, not on the collection.

Evaluation

The main emphasis on the article is focusing on people rather than materials and getting beyond the idea that the OPAQ as an end all and be all search tool. He discusses getting outside of our own catalogs to find what's out there (Amazon, GoodReads). Patrons don't really need our OPAQ as much as we think they do, but what they need from us is human connection. The portion of the article that focuses on e-books is quite small but relevant.

The Self-Published Puzzle

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The Self-Published Puzzle.

In the past self-published titles may have had a bad rap, libraries are setting out to redeem these titles, giving the content a platform to reach and audience.  lnnovation continues to be a hot topic for librarians and information students who are studying the development and maintenance of collections. In the article, Solving the Self-published Puzzle, author, by Greg Landgraf , the potential for incorporating self-published titles is examined (2015). A Toronto library uncovers multiple benefits to integrating self-published works. Writers who have books on local interest subjects prove to have a niche within the Canadian patron population.  According to Landgraf’s article, some libraries even promote local writers by designating a tent where patrons can stop by and purchase copies from the authors.  Other libraries have taken the self-published contributions a step further by incorporating self-publishing tools within the libraries in order to support local writers. It seems that the benefits are mutual between the audience, writer, and library.

Solving the Self-published Puzzle

By Greg Landgraf | October 30, 2015

http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/10/30/solving-the-self-published-puzzle/

Unusual Acquisitions

Journalist, Joshua Bender shares some intriguing acquisition news in his article, "MSU receives donation, now has largest digital library collection in U.S. While this article is short, and fails to confirm who verified this collection to be the largest, the story is inspiring regardless. Michigan State University received an acquisition in the form of a gift. In the spirit of my Presentation 5 project (acquisitions), I thought an acquisition story of interest is a good addition to our Blog Collection. The Rovi Corporation donated digital media in such volume, Bender reports the transport of the material had a price tag around $46,000.00 and took fourteen moving vans. CD"s and DVD's are included in this gift, but one media type holds more interest than the other two combined: electronic games. 

With so many games to check into the system, MSU librarians don't anticipate release one hundred percent of the titles to the public anytime soon. The inspiration from such a gift is how the library is going to adjust to support such a specialized collection. The article mentions the design of spaces for electronic gaming, noting the benefit these activities can play over holiday breaks from school. 

If you would like to read more about Bender's article, please visit:

 

 http://statenews.com/article/2015/10/library-collection

MSU receives donation, now has largest digital library collection in U.S.

 By Joshua Bender

October 21, 2015 11:10 am

 http://statenews.com/article/2015/10/library-collection

Do E-books Bridge the Digital Divide?

Nicole J. Hoback

Reference:

Polanka, S. (2012). Do E-books Bridge the Digital Divide? In No Shelf Required 2: Use and Management of Electronic Books (pp. 17-34). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions

Summary:

In chapter two, of No Shelf Required 2: Use and Management of Electronic Books, readers are introduced to the technology divide that many Americans face on a daily basis. Since the Great Recession of 2007 more families have been relying on their public libraries to have access to the Internet and computers. In “Do E-books Bridge the Digital Divide?,” the author explains that while many across the United States have a computer, the low to moderate income households cannot afford high speed Internet, in many cases, while some still rely on dial up and look to the library for high-speed access. The author proposes that social workers and librarians should be working closely together to help those patrons most in need. Stating that, “both librarians and social workers are often put in the position of facing budget cuts and doing more with less” (pp. 30). I felt that this quote demonstrated the strength of not only librarians, but of libraries as an institution. Academic libraries were also discussed, in how they are the leader in the number of eBook readers purchased, while public libraries were playing catch-up, generally due to budget. Overall the positive side to this chapter was that although many cannot afford to stay current with technology, creating exclusion, as eReaders become more popular, price drops will occur allowing more of the population to be able to afford them. With more libraries gaining access to these resources this will allow patrons to feel included.

Evaluation:

Although slightly depressing to read, due to how many across the United States are excluded from technology, the chapter was insightful and important to understand when analyzing technologies growth. To understand how technology is affecting children and adults, it is also equally important to know that not everyone has the luxury of experiencing change and growth in education. The positives of this chapter were that more libraries are gaining access to these materials allowing for less exclusion.

Going Digital but Not Bookless

Nicole J. Hoback

Reference:

Polanka, S. (2012). Going Digital but Not Bookless. In No Shelf Required 2: Use and

            Management of Electronic Books. (pp. 1-16). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions

Summary:

Chapter One of Polanka’s book discusses the changes libraries are going through to ensure that they are staying relevant with the current times and for their patrons. The text discusses several libraries across the nation, both academic and public that are finding themselves at a crossroads of where to focus their attention and funding. The struggle for many libraries is not just budgets, but space, and the lack of it. Libraries are now turning to electronic material rather than filling up their shelves. Many libraries across the nation are finding that the square footage they have is just not enough for all the print material. Both academic and public libraries are storing print collections in storage facilities and instead of refilling the shelves; they are rethinking their space. In California a public library branch announced that they would be turning one of their branches into a technology resource space, which enraged branch users. As Polanka explains, the difficulty with eResources is getting the public on board, which can be difficult, because when one thinks of a library they imagine a large space filled with books. Transforming libraries spaces and reinventing them will be a difficult task not only for libraries, but for users to grasp as well.

Evaluation:

Overall I really enjoyed this book chapter, because the author not only discussed the positives of eBooks, but also the negatives. There was a balance to the arguments made and the struggles that libraries are facing. No matter the downside to eResources, for libraries to remain relevant in a digital age it is important that libraries explore all of their options when selecting new material. I am personally very prone to using print material, but I also understand that digital is the future. As the author stated it is hard for users to go away completely from print and print may always remain, but there has to be a variety for users and allowing patrons to have a selection in reading format.

Surprising Results About Americans and Our Libraries

Brandes-Miesner, Marta

Raine, Lee (2014). 7 Surprises about our libraries in our surveys.
Retrieved from
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/30/7-surprises-about-libraries-in-our-surveys/

Summary:

This is an article written by Lee Raine, director of internet, science and technology research at Pew Research Center. From surveys taken in 2013, it states that older Americans (65+) are the smallest age group likely to have used a library in the past year. Younger Americans (16-29) are the largest group, on par with all of the ages in between ages 30 through 64. The survey identifies a group referred to as “Distant Admirers” who make up nearly 15% of the population (16+) who have never been to a library but have very positive views of the library. These views are based on another family member being a library user, the belief that libraries promote literacy which can result in the improvement of communities and the quality of lives. Next is that although e-book reading is on the rise, only 4% of those 29% of Americans who have ever read an e-book have become “e-book only” readers. Of Americans who read both, their preferences are pretty evenly split depending upon circumstances. The survey also revealed that library users prefer to own books (purchase them) rather than to borrow them from the library. That is they are not necessarily purchasing them but they would prefer to, rather than borrow.  Additionally, despite librarians’ staunch support of patrons’ privacy, 64% of library users said they would be willing to use a Reader’s Advisory Service that would recommend reading materials to patrons based upon their previously checked out materials. The remainder said they would be “”very likely” to use it. Finally, library patrons were fairly evenly divided into thirds (yes, no and maybe) when asked about the future physical arrangement of library materials and whether or not they should be removed to make way for tech centers, reading rooms and spaces for cultural programs.

Evaluation:

This 2013 poll taken by the Pew Research Center turned out to be more surprising than not. Some results were expected for logical reasons, for example the impression of libraries in general, even by “Distant Admirers”. The first question about actual library usage did surprise me. I would have thought that there would have been more library use among older Americans. Traditionally (as the question about the impressions of libraries by non-users revealed) libraries are seen as an embodiment of our nation’s founding principles. They are institutions that symbolize life-long learning, knowledge, wisdom-ideas that are customarily associated with societies’ elders. However, the discomfort that many older Americans feel in regards to technology may be one reason among many for the lower percentage. The fact that young adults were among the largest groups would not be surprising given the number of people in school among this age group. However, one might expect more alternative resources given the availability of internet sources today. The question about library users preferring to own books rather than to borrow them may seem surprising at first, but upon reflection it makes sense-book lovers are book lovers. Lovers of knowledge are lovers of knowledge. One may not always have the ability to purchase their own reading material but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t like own it in whatever format. Even as students, it would make sense that it is easier to study materials when one have the liberty to highlight, notate, etc. Over all, the results of the survey and article are interesting and worth consideration.