Christina de Castell (Vancouver Public Library) has developed this overview piece of the eBook issues that face Canadian Public Libraries. It is an educational/awareness piece and not policy per se. The document is broken into the following categories.
Publishers and libraries need eBook models that make sense and maintain a strong book industry in Canada. The following paper provides background to the conversation between publishers and libraries, explaining the current issues with providing eBooks in Canadian libraries and identifying areas where libraries’ experience with electronic resources can assist in developing new models.
Part I explores the pricing and licensing models that libraries have used during the fifteen years that they have provided electronic information products. It includes the major players selling electronic content to libraries.
Part II explains the current state of providing eBooks in Canadian libraries, including the products being used, devices for borrowing eBooks, issues in libraries and barriers to expanding the market.
Part III identifies the size of the Canadian public library market based on the spending of members of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council. It provides spending patterns over the past ten years, including percentage of spending by material type and a comparison of spending with publishers and wholesalers.
Part IV identifies the major organizations that speak on behalf of public libraries in Canada when dealing with national or provincial issues.
The Appendix provides background on the print purchasing environment in Canadian public libraries and the areas undergoing change. Print purchasing options used by libraries demonstrate the bulk purchasing models that libraries need to function effectively.
Christina de Castell (Vancouver Public Library) has developed this overview piece of the eBook issues that face Canadian Public Libraries. It is an educational/awareness piece and not policy per se. The document is broken into the following categories.
Publishers and libraries need eBook models that make sense and maintain a strong book industry in Canada. The following paper provides background to the conversation between publishers and libraries, explaining the current issues with providing eBooks in Canadian libraries and identifying areas where libraries’ experience with electronic resources can assist in developing new models.
Part I explores the pricing and licensing models that libraries have used during the fifteen years that they have provided electronic information products. It includes the major players selling electronic content to libraries.
Part II explains the current state of providing eBooks in Canadian libraries, including the products being used, devices for borrowing eBooks, issues in libraries and barriers to expanding the market.
Part III identifies the size of the Canadian public library market based on the spending of members of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council. It provides spending patterns over the past ten years, including percentage of spending by material type and a comparison of spending with publishers and wholesalers.
Part IV identifies the major organizations that speak on behalf of public libraries in Canada when dealing with national or provincial issues.
The Appendix provides background on the print purchasing environment in Canadian public libraries and the areas undergoing change. Print purchasing options used by libraries demonstrate the bulk purchasing models that libraries need to function effectively.