New Research Article (Preprint): “The Case of the Disappearing E-Book, Academic Libraries and Subscription Packages”

New research on a topic that’s regularly discussed in academic library circles.
The following article (preprint) was recently approved for publication and is scheduled to appear in the November 2015 issue of College & Research Libraries (C&RL).

Title

The Case of the Disappearing E-Book: Academic Libraries and Subscription Packages

Author

Helen Georgas
Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY)

Source

College & Research Libraries (C&RL) Web Site

From the Introduction

While the argument can be made that, via e‐book subscription packages, “much more quality content is being added in comparison to the number of titles that are being removed,” the issue of disappearing content is a potentially significant one for academic libraries. To begin with, it is important to know which titles are being removed from the collection, along with which subject areas are being affected,
Moving beyond collection development, what are the effects on library processes and workflows when content within e‐book subscription packages is frequently changing? How can academic librarians promote and encourage use of e‐books by faculty and students, especially as course material, if the e‐books might, at any given moment, disappear?
And what are the implications of leasing e‐books for library values such as long‐term access and preservation?
This study begins with a one‐year analysis of “disappeared” titles from ebrary’s Academic CompleteTM collection at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY). Were certain subject areas particularly affected? Which publishers were removed? Were the removed titles mainly scholarly, or were they titles published by popular presses? Were the removed monographs older publications, or were recent titles deleted as well?

Direct to Full Text Article (Preprint)
39 pages; PDF.

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Libraries, Preservation