This book is much more than a “how-to-do-it manual”. It is a thorough, up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the current state of e-book publishing and usage. Originally commissioned by the US Medical Library Association, its contributors are inevitably drawn from the US library profession. But this is one aspect of the information field where, in theory, a predominantly American perspective should make little practical difference, as the effects of global publishing and internet accessibility in this field tend towards a standardization of approach worldwide.
The book is very sensibly organised into three sections covering the overall background and history of the e-book phenomenon, detailed considerations for budgeting, selection and licensing, and practical applications for a wide range of different library environments from public and academic to school libraries.
It comes as something of a surprise to learn that the concept of an electronic book was first introduced as long ago as 1945 by Vannevar Bush, but it is only in the last 10-15 years that this initial concept has become widely established in anything like its present form. There are indications that sales of e-books are now overtaking those of conventional print copies for the first time, and undoubtedly this has a lot to do with rapid increases in the range and technical capability of the various e-readers and platforms available for their use (something that a print copy, of course, does not need). Whereas conventional books are bound by the limitations of the printed page, however, the future for e-books is set to encompass various forms of “augmented reality”, where instead of a mere illustration the text can be accompanied by virtual displays and interactive experiences of increasing complexity and sophistication. This will undoubtedly tend to increase their popularity with growing numbers of younger readers for whom “reality” is usually delivered via a graphical interface.
E-books initially confronted librarians with a number of difficult challenges that overturned many of the conventional aspects of their profession, but this transitional period has now largely given way to a widespread acceptance that the modern library must increasingly incorporate various forms of digital provision and be able to respond quickly both to advances in technology and to customer expectations. One of the central challenges for both librarians and publishers has been how to control access to the new formats in order to protect rights and income for everyone concerned in their production and distribution. Some publishers are still wary of making their titles available digitally, for fear that this will undermine sales of the print version, although for smaller publishers the costs of digital provision may also be a factor (Ironically, this title itself seems not to be available as an e-book.). While for a time package deals gave librarians a means of providing easy access to a wide range of e-books, this is increasingly being seen as a scatter-gun approach that does not necessarily represent the best use of limited funds, and the trend now is for libraries to favour selection of individual titles that more accurately reflect their users' needs.
Individual sections of this book look closely at how librarians have now learned to approach these initial challenges, from budgeting, selection and acquisition through cataloguing, licensing and rights management to staff training and eventual delivery. All aspects of managing an e-book collection are covered and considered, and the separate chapters are written by established professionals in the field providing the fruits of their own experience, making this an invaluable resource for librarians wanting a manual to hand for practical advice or simply an overview of the current state of e-book provision.
There is one section in particular, “selecting e-books”, by Joanne Doucette and Amy Lewontin, that I would single out for special mention. In effect it summarises the core aspects of what librarians need to know and to consider when they are embarking on building an e-book collection, and it is the best “in-a-nutshell” account of the subject that I have come across. I would recommend new readers to start the book with this section, and to move on to other chapters for further detail of specific aspects as and when needed.
Importantly, the advent of e-books has forced librarians of all sectors to look again at their core services and to redefine their service parameters. Questions about appropriate e-book provision have to be considered in relation to the library's printed stock: to what extent should there be duplication between the two? The conventional view of a library as a place where printed materials are stored indefinitely for use by future generations is changing to that of a service which provides on-demand access to information drawn from a wide range of resources and formats appropriate to the nature of the enquiry, supported by the advice and guidance of professional staff. To this extent, libraries are now associated more with the services they deliver rather than the buildings they occupy.
The final section, “e-books in practice” draws on a number of practical examples of how individual libraries have approached the challenges of e-book provision. What emerges from the book as a whole is how resourceful library professionals have proved in facing up to circumstances that have had profound and fundamental implications for their work over the last decade, and in adapting their services to respond to changing customer needs and expectations. More than that, I think, it is evident that a new breed of librarians is emerging, who are capable not just of responding effectively to rapid technological change but of predicting, leading and delivering the information needs of the future. This is what the library profession needs if it is to survive.
