Dal experiments with eBooks, headaches ensue

Although universities are investing in eBooks, library shelves at Dalhousie University’s Killam Library are still being emptied to make room for new print acquisitions. (Photo: Terra Ciolfe)

University libraries are caught in the middle of fast technological changes and a business model that is lagging behind.

Universities enter into licensing contracts with publishers that have created problems with access to eBooks and how they are accessed within the interlibrary loan system.

Some students and faculty members have been able to embrace new electronic resources because of their accessibility and convenience. But others haven't been so lucky.

"It was just a disaster and I certainly won't be using eBooks again," said Christopher Austin, assistant professor in the classics department at Dalhousie University.

Austin says faculty members were encouraged to use eBooks to help deal with large classes, course packs and expensive photocopying.

"I am all for that. I hate using paper resources and paying for copyright," he said. "Then I used it in a large class and it just fell apart."

Austin decided to use an eBook as a required reading in his introduction to eastern religions course, with a class of around 120 students.

Being students, he said, they all went online to read the book the night before the quiz. But the system couldn't handle the volume and shut down. At the same time, the bookstore had not ordered enough copies of the physical textbook for the entire class.

"I have eliminated the use of all eBooks from my course readings because it is clear that they are completely unreliable," said Austin.

In order for universities to offer materials to their students, they enter into a contract with publishers to determine the usage requirements of the resource. While eBook technology may allow for an unlimited usage, the clauses in these contracts restrict usage, but this can vary depending on the individual publisher. The clauses often include details about the number of people that can access an eBook at one time or over the span of a week.

Considering the technological advances made in electronic publishing, such limited usage seems counterintuitive, says William Maes, the librarian of Dalhousie University.

"You are defeating the purpose of an electronic book if you can only lend it to one person at a time," he said.

But Maes has high hopes for the future of eBooks in academia. He says that they are just in the beginning phases and have "tremendous possibilities" in terms of the information and interactivity they can provide.

In terms of the current licensing issues faced by libraries, Maes notes that this system is not much different than the traditional print model.

"Our expectations have grown tremendously and the expectation is that; whatever is out there, I should be able to get access to it right away," he said.

But this is not true for access to eBooks within the interlibrary loans system.

Marie DeYoung, the librarian at Saint Mary's University, says for smaller universities it becomes more difficult to provide the same amount of access for students.

Due to the same licensing contracts with publishers, university libraries also do not have the ability to distribute eBooks through Novanet, a lending system that shares materials among most Nova Scotia university and college libraries. Material they would be able to rely on other schools to provide if it were in printed form, the Saint Mary's library now has to provide itself.

While there are kinks in the system, there are many benefits to eBooks in terms of accessibility, flexibility and convenience. It is just a matter of figuring out how to get everyone on the same page.

"The wonderful thing is, I think, we will be able to provide more effective and efficient service to our users," said DeYoung. "The challenge is going to be keeping up with how to do that."

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