Overview

At a time when library and information services are under pressure through budget cuts, the need to maintain highly relevant, accessible and innovative services whilst ensuring cost-effectiveness is a major concern for library managers.

Whilst e-formats provide the potential to extend services far beyond the walls of the library, planning and developing an e-book collection introduces complexities over and above those associated with traditional collection management. The authors contributing to this section discuss the introduction of e-books into their library services and highlight some of the issues that were addressed in the process.

Martin Palmer (Chapter 5) of Essex Libraries asks what relevance ebooks have within the public library sector, offering cogent arguments both for and against e-book provision. Palmer reflects on the over-riding requirement to ensure that public libraries provide value-for-money services whilst considering the ways in which e-books can reach new audiences effectively, as well as offering practical guidance on matters from promotion to staffing.

Karen Foster and Emma Ransley (Chapter 6) of Yeovil College discuss the strategic drivers that have influenced the ways in which FE has employed technology in teaching and learning over the last ten years, and explain how this has directly impacted upon the provision of e-books by learning resources centres. Foster and Ransley discuss the practicalities of managing an e-book collection within the further education environment, from selection to budget management.

Jim Dooley (Chapter 7) of University of California, Merced, discusses the acquisition of e-books from the unique perspective of a new HE library that was created after the internet revolution. Dooley provides a clear picture of how the Merced collection has evolved, and describes the strategic, budgetary and staffing considerations that have influenced the management of e-books within the collaborative environment of California University Libraries.