The Authors

Karen Bronshteyn, Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota, USA

eBook, or e-book, is the abbreviation for “electronic book” – a book
written in or converted to digital format. The early efforts of Michael
Hart and Project Gutenberg (see Project Gutenberg, 2006)
on public domain titles starting in 1971 attracted the attention of
readers and librarians, and the late 1990s opened possibilities for
large purchases of proprietary eBooks, some in a downloadable format
requiring a special reader, and others accessible via the internet and
a subscription. NetLibrary, the eBook collection/product described in
this article, is web-based.

Proliferating eBook collections do not necessarily generate a
corresponding rise in the enthusiasm level of reference librarians.
Ellen Safley (2006)
explained at a conference presentation that “reactions to NetLibrary by
staff are fairly negative as they do the troubleshooting for passwords,
proxy problems, printing issues, and readability concerns”. Despite
library staff complaints, she documented an increased demand for eBooks.

Many libraries opt for inclusion of eBook records in the library
catalog, but the user concerned with format must limit a search to
electronic or nonelectronic resources, and this option may not be
intuitive. Some librarians report annoyance over the default catalog
search results, and an intense dislike for the eBook product itself.
Their complaints extend from a variety of technical problems, to
(ironically) outdated editions in comparison to what is available in
print, to lack of influence with the eBook vendors and vendors'
inability or unwillingness to respond to requests. The long-awaited
interface enhancements for NetLibrary, and library catalog limitations
may have hindered the interest of reference and instruction librarians,
who, at many institutions, have yet to fully discover the utility of
eBooks at the reference desk and beyond, and may not actively promote
eBooks or provide instruction on them. Ongoing inconveniences with the
web-based interface and a learned bias may translate into a lack of
promotion that may be unfortunate for library patrons, who, according
to studies at Columbia University and Louisiana State University in the
literature review below, seem to prefer eBooks for certain needs and
subject areas. User acceptance of the eBook format may not get
translated into collection development input and requests for eBook
purchases from the reference department.

This article proposes that eBooks are valuable extensions of the
print collection and of particular utility at the reference desk. It
addresses problems with the inclusion of eBooks in the library catalog.
Practical tips for utilizing NetLibrary eBooks at the reference desk
are provided. The utility of the eBook collection as a print collection
development tool is discussed. The scope of this article does not cover
eAudio books.

Valuable characteristics of eBooks for the reference desk

The literature documents significant eBook usage, and students
themselves indicate a willingness to use this format. A concise list of
characteristics of eBooks that are most likely to add value to
reference desk transactions follows:

• 
  Table of contents & full-text searchability. There is a
  lack of enriched catalog records for print materials. Table of contents
  notes, when they exist, are very helpful at the reference desk for
  identifying which books the student should track down several floors or
  buildings away. The eBook record, usually requiring just one more click
  to access the actual item, allows for a view of the table of contents,
  a full-text search within, and even a dictionary function. “Our
  students are impressed with the fact that e-books come with a search
  engine that will find their topic for them within the book” (Hildebrand, 2006).
• 
  Accessibility/saves a trip to the stacks. Students viewing an
  eBook at the reference desk can ascertain at that moment if it might be
  beneficial, and a link to the cataloging record can be sent to them.
  Compare this with a trip to the stacks for a book whose table of
  contents was not included in the cataloging record, and whose potential
  for meeting their needs cannot be ascertained until locating the item.
  Unfortunately, the student sometimes returns to the desk announcing
  that the book could not be found and that he has to go to class now. It
  frustrates librarians and professors when students do not leave enough
  time to locate the proper research materials. But it also frustrates
  students when materials have been misplaced or are checked out,
  sometimes for quite lengthy periods of time. Students working from a
  distance don't even have the choice of same-day access to the stacks.
  Christianson and Aucoin acknowledge that “distance education programs
  may have played a role in the outcome” of the overall positive results
  of their eBook usage study (Christianson and Aucoin, 2005,
  p. 80). While some eBook agreements allow for only one user at a time,
  the usage is generally brief, especially in comparison to three-week
  circulation periods, and the “reshelving” time fast, just a few
  seconds. Most eBooks are accessible 24/7 through IP-authenticated
  access or by logging in. eBooks cannot get lost or overdue, and
  therefore don't generate any pesky fines. Their format and
  accessibility make them more readily useful for reference desk
  transactions in person and by phone than the print collection several
  floors removed. Even with reference books, the electronic format is
  more readily portable in that at least part of the information can be
  printed, downloaded, or e-mailed without trying to get the photocopier
  to accept change.
• 
  Just in time/procrastination. Librarians may encourage
  students to plan in advance, but we don't actually turn them away from
  the reference desk when they show up 30 minutes before it closes.
  Students count on electronic short-cuts to information, and in all
  likelihood they have just spent the last hour searching the free
  internet in vain. Pointing them to a credible monograph, in either
  format, makes good sense. But promoting or demonstrating a relevant
  eBook isn't just a last minute fix, it can be a last person fix.
  Someone in the class had to be the first one to check-out relevant
  print materials, and someone had to be the last one to try. Sometimes
  it is the latest, greatest assignment (that the library was not given a
  heads-up about), which leads all relevant print books in the catalog to
  show status “unavailable”.

Accessing eBooks through the library catalog

First year students (and others) are confused about what a library
catalog contains. They expect the catalog to reach great depths to
reveal unindexed detail, such as journal articles (Bronshteyn, 2007a),
and yet when faced with broad search results for monographs, are unable
to limit the search effectively, particularly when they need to limit
to a format or medium.

Adam Marsnik, Cataloging & Technology Librarian at Normandale
Community College, reports that a few years ago, a couple thousand
NetLibrary eBooks provided by the State of Minnesota were downloaded to
their library catalog. At the request of reference librarians, the
records were later removed due to student/staff/faculty complaints and
frustrations about the timeliness of the materials and the limitations
of the NetLibrary user interface (personal communication, 6 July 2006).
(NetLibrary's interface was since revised on July 31, 2006 and its
release announced after the fact.) Removing eBook records is an unusual
step – several libraries with eBook collections continue to expand them
through their consortium, fulfilling their charge of providing relevant
and immediate access to reasonably priced materials (Minitex, 2007).

Some library staff may contend that the inclusion of eBook records
in the catalog is too problematic, however, inclusion in the catalog
remains one of the most effective ways to draw attention to the eBook
collection. At the University of Rochester, NetLibrary usage increased
from 397 accesses in a five-month period to over 3,000 accesses in the
five months following the addition of cataloging records – an increased
usage of 755 percent (Gibbons, 2001).

A limit to eBook format can be posted in some library catalogs by
adding the keywords “electronic resource”; others require the posting
of a limit by format “electronic books”. Some catalogs allow for either
approach, but the results can be inconsistent. Keeping in mind that
every year new faculty and transfer students arrive, it is useful to
point out the terminology of a catalog limit search at the reference
desk. Is format called “medium”? Are electronic books called “computer
file”?

Posting a limit by location is just as effective in some catalogs.
“NetLibrary” might be a location or author name, but of course it
limits the patron to a particular provider, of which there is an
increasing number The disparate and sometimes nonintuitive ways in
which library catalogs can be limited to eBook records differs between
library systems, catalog upgrades, and even between individual
libraries in a system. The confusion and inconsistency with these
catalog limits should be kept in mind for future generations of
catalogs or cataloging records and for effective one-on-one instruction
at the reference desk.

eBook usage studies

The Online Books Evaluation Project at Columbia University found
early in the eBook's appearance to academic research, that people chose
eBooks three times as much as the print counterpart (Summerfield et al., 1999).
However, California State University Libraries found a more equal
popularity factor between print and electronic books, but noted that
the format is new to the community and the usage is likely to increase (California State University Council of Library Directors Electronic Access to Information Resources Committee, 2002).
A detailed study at Duke University found 11 percent more usage with
eBooks than with comparable print books, while carefully explaining the
difficulty in comparing print circulation figures to one-click
electronic access and mentioning, (as did California State's analysis,)
that the format may become more popular as users become familiar with
it (Littman and Connaway, 2004).
The University of Texas at Dallas reported declining print circulation
despite growing enrollments and an expanding collection. Their eBook
“circulation” equaled 29 percent of the print circulation in 2004 and
had grown to 58 percent just one year later (Safley, 2006).
A study by Christianson and Aucoin at Louisiana State University
attempted to isolate the factors contributing to a person's format
choice by comparing eBook usage with the exact print counterpart, and
broke the data down by subject classification. They found that History
and Philosophy received more print usage, whereas Library Science
received 2.27 times more electronic usage (Christianson and Aucoin, 2005). This figure is interesting in light of the aforementioned lack of enthusiasm in the library profession's front lines.

These studies document eBook usage ranging from 0.5 to 3 times the
print, however, they do not break down the data by type of user. Since
this article purports that there is dissatisfaction with eBooks amongst
librarians, a 2003 survey by Chu was consulted. Library Science
graduate students at a university in the USA indicated that eBooks are
“hard to read and browse” and “need special equipment” (Chu, 2003,
p. 340). However, these students are the same ones that indicated that
they have never used eBooks. Library students who have used eBooks
indicated that they appreciate that they are “searchable,” provide
“timely access to new titles,” and are available 24/7 (Chu, 2003, p. 343).

Recent queries and correspondence between the author of this article and other librarians indicate that there is a notion that users do not like eBooks, and thus hesitancy amongst some librarians to promote/purchase eBooks. Do
users dislike eBooks? Since this article is primarily concerned with
the utility of eBooks at the reference desk, a prime group of reference
desk users, first-year college students enrolled in English
Composition, was surveyed. Most of the first-year students surveyed by Bronshteyn (2007b)
said that they are at least “somewhat likely to use” an eBook during
the calendar year. Specifically, of 91 freshmen responding to the
question, “An eBook is a book in electronic form. How likely are you to
use/read an eBook this year?”; 32 (35 percent) selected “somewhat
likely to use,” 14 (15 percent) selected “likely to use,” and 10 (11
percent) said they “will definitely use on occasion”. At the two ends
of the spectrum, “not at all likely to use,” received 35 (38 percent)
of responses, while “will definitely use frequently” received zero.
This data on the attitude or implied acceptance of the technology may
not match every librarian's perception of student eBook usage, but
together with the older studies mentioned above, which were based on
actual circulation data and not students' self-perceived acceptance of
the format, the case is made that eBooks are a popular format. Finding
them and utilizing them effectively remains problematic for some.
Potential users will benefit from front line staff that has developed
some type of affinity for the eBook platform.

Practical reference desk NetLibrary eBook tips

There are several eBook vendors (see Appendix for a partial list,)
but at the time of this writing, it seemed that only one of them could
claim over 100,000 titles (OCLC, 2006).
Because of its extensive title and library base, NetLibrary's platform
is the focus of this article and in particular this section. In
NetLibrary's current form, “4.0,” a successful consultation at the
reference desk demonstrating its platform involves familiarity with a
few of its features. For example, when viewing an eBook, only the page
in current view can be sent to the printer, rather than a page range.
This can contribute to the frustration of researchers who expected to
print several pages or entire sections at a time. It naturally
frustrates those who help them as well, their reference transaction
slowed down by the need to select each page individually for printing.

Here are some additional tips for reference desk staff:

• 
  Searching NetLibrary.com directly. When a library catalog
  search and reference interview identifies NetLibrary as a definite
  possibility, a search within NetLibrary's interface is likely to locate
  more materials than a search in most library catalogs. The default
  search setting in NetLibrary is Full-Text.
• 
  E-mailing citations. If citations are e-mailed through the
  NetLibrary interface (using the tab “eContent Details” within an eBook
  or the link “Show details” in a title list), a text-only message is
  generated (no hyperlink to reaccess the eBook), and it may arrive in a
  junk e-mail folder. If citations are e-mailed through a library catalog
  that includes hyperlinks, reaccessing an eBook may still be problematic
  if the patron returns home to an unaffiliated IP address, and
  subscription eBook access is not set up through a proxy server.
  Recommend creating a free account for direct access to NetLibrary.com
  eBooks.
• 
  “Close” eBook. When a single eBook is open, “close” it when
  finished so that it can be retrieved again quickly. Click on the
  “(Close Item)” link to the right of the book title (see Figure 1).
  Otherwise the reshelving time is increased by a few minutes. However,
  in the current version (4.0) of NetLibrary, while working with an open
  search with multiple results directly in the NetLibrary interface, do
  not “close” individual eBooks until the consultation is completely
  finished. When an eBook that is part of a NetLibrary.com search set is
  “closed”, the Back to Search Results link will be lost. Once the
  eBook(s) have been identified that the patron is going to use, close
  the final eBook intended to view, and the rest of the open ones will
  appear one by one for closing. In this way the items will be
  immediately “reshelved” and accessible from a different browser.
• 
  “Favorites and Notes”. This advanced feature is only available
  within an individual account. Just as the name suggests, it allows
  users to mark their favorite eBooks and record some notes. It could be
  useful in reference transactions for distance education. A free account
  could be created on the fly for the student, and items identified
  marked as “favorites”. Since the eBook titles themselves do not
  necessarily reveal the keywords which identified them using a full-text
  search, the notes feature would allow the librarian to enter a bit of
  commentary, marking individual pages. This emulates an in-person
  reference transaction in that the librarian often identifies books
  based on subject-headings instead of title keywords, and points out the
  indexes and various other sections of books. Often librarians send a
  student away from the desk with a reference book marked with scrap
  paper for photocopying, and print-outs of the library catalog for
  retrieval. The “favorites and notes” feature provides this service from
  a distance. In order to reconcile privacy concerns about creating an
  account on the fly, consider it a one-time disposable account, give the
  student the name/password, and then discard any notes jotted down. (The
  distance education student, of course, must be affiliated with one's
  institution.)
• 
  “My Checked Out Items”. Note that eBook check-out became
  obsolete with the July 2006 upgrade; however, the “Checked Out Items”
  link still appears at the top of the NetLibrary user interface.
• 
  Foreign language searching. The NetLibrary search feature
  cannot search for words with diacritics, such as the word español. The
  most comprehensive way to locate foreign language eBook titles is to go
  to the advanced search feature and pull up all items owned in that
  language. If too broad, limit by a keyword that does not contain a
  diacritic. NetLibrary's documentation says that they offer “Non-English
  Language Support” (NetLibrary, 2006).
  However, this is the ability to set account preferences to a different
  interface language, and the problem with diacritics remains.
• 
  Cutting and pasting from PDF documents. Some NetLibrary books
  display the Adobe toolbar and some do not. The ones that do not display
  the toolbar have the mouse default set to be able to copy and paste.
  The ones with the Adobe toolbar have the default set to a “hand” which
  does not allow for highlighting with the mouse. Click on the arrow to
  the right of the hand icon in the toolbar to change the setting, which
  will enable highlighting, copy and pasting (see Figure 2).
• 
  One-on-one Instruction. Before ending a reference desk
  transaction involving an eBook(s), make sure the patron knows how to
  reaccess the eBook. Teach the path to it through the library catalog
  and/or e-mail a link. Demonstrate to the patron how to print a page,
  how to navigate by page, how to search within. For institutions that do
  not have a proxy server for accessing subscription eBooks, show the
  link to creating a free account – possibly allowing its creation at the
  reference desk if not busy, since it is a quick process.

Deselecting eBooks

Because library catalog limits are often unfamiliar or nonintuitive
to users, a catalog search that yields “messy” results with eBook
editions older than the print may cause frustration. To insure that the
integration of eBooks into the library catalog is useful, the
collection must be kept weeded, perhaps more carefully than even the
print collection. Little practical advice on weeding an eBook
collection is available in the library literature. The best tip found
is to add eBooks to the regular weeding routine, with copyright date as
one of the standard criteria (Wilson, 2004,
pp. 158-9). Weeding could be done at the point of collection
development, although this would require elaborate planning if the
purchase is for a large collection at the system-level. Those extra
large sets of eBooks purchased at a bargain price are likely to have
many vendor-selected titles or complete publisher lists thrown in that
were not checked for currency. The sheer quantity creates the
appearance of a grab bag of inexpensive titles that “boost” certain
subject categories, such as computers. To preempt a rise in the
frustration level of users, adequate time needs to be devoted for
evaluation of large eBook collections at the time of purchase. This may
involve more librarians actively participating in a system-level
cooperative purchase, and planned reviews of eBook MARC record
downloads. For example, it is prudent to get smart about the Dummies and Idiots
computer series books, and take out the cataloging record for outdated
eBooks (in large special sets), before their records join the catalog
with more carefully selected print records.

eBooks as a collection development tool

By accessing items that were unavailable in print, the statistics
for that title are increased, and if a library's collection development
department uses the figures, students benefit. Here is a snapshot of
NetLibrary usage statistics for a six month period at the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire (see Table I).
Janice Bogstad, Collection Development Librarian, reports that these
figures provide important insight for print purchases, and that she
will order most of the frequently accessed titles to supplement the
print collection, with the exception of titles that are more likely to
fit the mission of the public library. eBooks are almost always
electronic copies of print books, and an eBook collection is one of
many valid ways to develop the print collection. Exploring an eBook
collection at the reference desk may be just as valuable for the print
collection as flipping through a book review magazine.

In addition to using the eBook collection to enhance the print
collection, reference librarians will benefit from having a vested
interest in actively participating in eBook selection. Since reference
books have potential for the most utility and frequent access, the
functionality of new electronic reference books coming on the market,
particularly in high-demand subject areas, should be monitored for
collection-development wish-lists.

Faculty already use eBooks as print collection development tools.
eBooks make their way into a faculty member's office by virtue of being
immediately accessible. Detailed “search within” results reveal its
value, and a request for a print copy to be added to the library is
routed through the usual collection development channels (personal
communication, Bogstad, 26 July 2006).

Another way to use eBooks as a collection development tool is to subscribe to a service such as PDA (Patron Driven Acquisition)[1].
eBooks that the library does not own are loaded into the library
catalog, two clicks and it gets automatically purchased (in eBook
format) at 1.5 times the price of print. Bogstad reports that this type
of “just in time” purchasing assures more usage than we can predict
with other selection measures, such as book reviews, best seller lists,
even recommendations (personal communication, 26 July 2006).
NetLibrary's PDA program, however, has proven unpopular for her library
because of the inability to ascertain which eBooks are owned and which
are for purchase, and catalog removal was extremely labor intensive.
PDA programs vary by vendor – if involved with the decision to join a
PDA program, be sure to ask if they will be able to provide lists of
eBooks not purchased, for catalog removal.

Conclusion

This article has paid particular attention to NetLibrary, the
largest eBook vendor, but many details can be generalized to other
eBook collections. eBooks may not be a favored format for lengthy
reading, but they have many redeemable qualities, including ease of
access, full-text search, relatively low prices, and no need for shelf
space. They are increasingly appreciated by faculty and students.
However, collective disdain for the inconvenience of their platform may
discourage active promotion and utilization at the reference desk. But
if the eBook collection is carefully selected and maintained for
currency, and reference librarians acquire a strong familiarity with
the eBook product, a likely result will be more frequent and more
positive eBook experiences at the reference desk and beyond, increased
usage, and an enhanced monograph collection.

Figure 1Close item

Figure 2Hand

Table INetLibrary statistics, six-month period, McIntyre Library, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Appendix

eBook vendors and contact information (selected)

• ACLS Humanities E-Book, available at: www.historyebook.org (accessed 14 August 2007).
• Books 24X7, available at: www.books24x7.com (accessed 14 August 2007).
• Ebook Library, available at: http://www.eblib.com (accessed 14 August 2007).
• ebrary, available at: www.ebrary.com (accessed 14 August 2007).
• Gale Virtual Reference Library, available at: http://www.gale.com/gvrl/ (accessed 14 August 2007).
• NetLibrary, available at: www.netlibrary.com (accessed 14 August 2007).
• Questia, available from: www.questia.com (accessed 14 August 2007).
• Safari Books Online, available at: www.safaribooksonline.com/ (accessed 14 August 2007).
• Taylor & Francis eBookstore, available at: www.ebooksubscriptions.com (accessed 14 August 2007).

About the author

Karen Bronshteyn is the College Librarian, Anoka Technical College,
Anoka, Minnesota, USA. She can be contacted at:
kbronshteyn@anokatech.edu