A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians: Building and Managing E-Book Collections (PDF)

Beginning with a short history of e-books and a review of the e-book publishing industry and its effect on the library’s selection and budget process, this how-to provides a thorough treatment of collection development issues, including the selection process and development policies, the use of approval plans, patron-driven acquisition, and practical solutions for creating your e-book collection policies. Chapters on budgeting and licensing cover ownership versus leasing models, the differences in licensing options from the major publishers and aggregators including information on digital rights management, and strategies for success in retention, access, and budgeting. The cataloging and selection chapters are the largest in the book. The “selecting e-books” chapter discusses

E-book purchasing models
File formats and publisher/aggregator e-book platforms
Differences and similarities between various display devices (e-readers)

The technical and access services section includes

Best practices in cataloging e-books to include metadata
Insight on incorporating value added features such as adding excerpts from the text, book covers, and links to related resources
Guidance on library web page and online catalog access
Assessment and evaluation strategies through circulation statistics, print collection selection and usage, and user satisfaction

You’ll also gain valuable insight on the e-book’s impact on the publishing industry, scholarly communication, and its integration into future technologies and social media. Offering multiple perspectives from electronic resource professionals at world-renowned libraries such as Harvard, the University of Michigan, Duke, and Northeastern, this book provides a comprehensive and well-rounded e-book education. Success stories highlight each chapter’s lessons, giving you real-world examples of effective e-book implementation in both school and public libraries.