E-books in Libraries

Book excerpt: Despite the fact that e-books have been in existence for decades in various guises and added to library collections for several years now, there has been a noticeable lack of published manuals on the subject. This is doubtless owing to the rapidly evolving nature of the market. There is now a plethora of different types of digital object that may be termed 'e-books' and a bewildering number of business and access models to match. Moreover the pace of change shows no sign of abating, but there is an increasing amount of popular interest in e-books, and what is needed is practical information to assist library and information professionals managing collections of e-books and doing their best to inform their users right now. The book is divided into five parts: The production and distribution of e-books Planning and developing an e-book collection Delivering e-books to library readers Engaging readers with e-books The future of e-books. Virginia Havergal BA(Hons) MSc MEd FIFL is a Learning Centres and e-Resources Manager for Petroc, a further education college in Devon. Prior to this role she was an e-Learning Advisor with JISC, with a particular focus on Learning Resources. Kate Price BA(Hons) MA MCLIP is Head of E-Strategy and Resources at the University of Surrey.