eBooks – The View from SOAS

Joanna Tate 16 June 2011

Coverage

• Dawsonera

• Cambridge Online

• Reference books

• Collections of electronic books from China

• Preferred purchasing model: one off purchase, not subscription

Awareness

Usage Statistics

Dawsonera

• Works on credit system

• 70 books with no usage at all

• Only 2 titles been used significantly

Cambridge ebooks

• 5416 downloads since Aug 2010

• Need for better stats from CUP

Feedback

Insert Wordle!

Positive Comments

• Dawsonera– Whole book can be downloaded at once– Wide range of books available

• Cambridge Books Online– Chapters can be downloaded and stored

locally for indefinite time– Whole chapters can be printed– PDFs are accessible from ebook readers e.g.

Kindle

Dawsonera Problems

• Restrictions on printing

• User must be online to read downloaded text

• Restrictions on number of downloads

• Restrictions on length of time text can be downloaded

• Not compatible with e-book readers e.g. Kindle or iPhones

Cambridge Books Online Problems

• Users can see all content not just subscribed.

• Includes journal content as well

• Confusing for users

Future

• Follow developments of NetLibrary on EBSCOhost

• User/patron driven selection

• Change book selection model for multiple copies of course readings?

• Oxford Scholarship - one off purchase options?

Any questions?