E-textbooks: the Bournemouth University experience.

Abstract

E-books have been a crucial part of the Bournemouth University collection strategy for over a decade and library model e-books are our preferred method of providing suggested reading. Along with core collections and patron plans, we currently have over 194,000 e-books and these received over three million section requests in 2012–13. Despite our strategy to purchase in ‘e’ whenever it is available, we have always found it challenging to provide electronic access to core textbooks. Traditionally, publishers have been reluctant to make this type of material available as library model e-books: they are understandably concerned about the impact that this would have on print sales to students. We have recently been investigating the evolving publishing models that enable institutions to provide access to e-textbooks, and this article reports on our experiences.