Electronic Book Library (EBL) Pilot Project

The General Libraries are investigating the functionality of emerging electronic book products and vendors. In 2006-07, we conducted an extensive test of the EBL service. An executive summary of the report is noted below. The full report of our methodology and findings also is available.

Executive Summary

From October 2006 – April 2007 the General Libraries conducted a test of the E Book Library (EBL) e-book service. During this pilot project more than 50,000 EBL digital titles were added to EUCLID and their use carefully monitored to assess customers’ reactions to and use of electronic books.

One of the major accomplishments of the pilot was work of setting up the workflow for the ordering, licensing, acquisition, and cataloging of these titles. The EBL Working Group worked closely with Acquisitions, Cataloging, Electronic Resources Team, Accounting, the EUCLID Team, and the Subject Liaisons in developing policies, procedures, and work processes. This work will serve as a foundation for future e-book purchases, or future e-book platforms.

Our major findings:

• Use of EBL e-books proved popular
  3624 short term loans (STLs) were generated for EBL titles during this test, at an average cost of $5.25 per title rented. Immediacy of access clearly proved a much more compelling factor to our customers than the need to read the original print copy.  Just over 400 EBL digital editions purchased during our trial and received heavy use; these purchased e-editions were read or downloaded 767 times during the test period.

• E-books were frequently consulted in lieu of print editions
  E-books frequently were consulted in lieu of print editions which already were checked out or on hold for another user, declared lost, or otherwise unavailable. E-books also often were used as an alternative to requesting print editions in temporary or permanent storage, such as humanities and chemistry titles which had been put in off-site storage during construction projects. Of the titles rented, fully 57% (1701) already were held in print by the Emory libraries.
  

• Undergraduates were the heaviest users of e-books, with medical second 

           Undergraduates appeared to be the heaviest users, but there also was considerable use of electronic books in the areas of health and medicine.