Article (Preprint): Give 'em What They Want: A One-year Study of Unmediated Patron-Driven Acquisition of E-Books"
Direct to Full Text (42 pages; PDF)
Co-Authors:
- Karen S. Fischer (U. of Iowa)
- Michael Wright (U. of Iowa)
- Kathleen Clatanoff (YBP Library Services)
- Hope Barton (U. of Iowa)
- Edward Shreeves (U of Iowa)
Source: College and Research Libraries
Abstract:
In September 2009 the University of Iowa Libraries embarked on an experiment with patron driven acquisition (PDA) of e-books with ebrary and YBP. An e-book-only PDA plan was initiated, entirely unmediated and with instantaneous access to the content. MARC records were loaded for each title, determined by our YBP approval profile and other limitations, for a total of 12,000 PDA records. Usage, cost, subject, and publisher data were analyzed for 850 purchased PDA e-books and thousands of other ebrary subscription titles. Results indicate that PDA can be a useful and effective tool for meeting user needs and building the local collection, but the role of PDA in the library’s collection management program presents challenges as well as opportunities.
Accepted For Publication: September 11, 2011
Anticipated Publication Date: July, 2012
Direct to Full Text (42 pages; PDF)
Filed under: Academic Libraries, Data Files, Libraries, Management and Leadership, Publishing

About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.