THEME IV:
New Kid on the E-Block: The E-Book

"Technology is changing the artifact we know as a 'book.' Until a year or two ago, the concept of an electronic book was spoken of as something in the more distant rather than the near future. Who would want to read a 350?page monograph on the best monitor on the best PC? Who would want to take the lightest, most portable of laptops to the beach for a summer's read? That's not the case any more. Improvements in reading devices and multiple methods of delivering the electronic text to the consumer have shortened the time line. Once exclusively the topic of speculation in computer and Internet magazines, the electronic book has become front?page news." Jeannette McVeigh, Electronic Resources Coordinator, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, in "What's Happening to the Book-and Why You Should Care," Library Issues, November 2000

The Library has invested considerable effort in monitoring the e-book's progress. Associate Librarian for Collection Development Susan Vaughn attended an e-book conference in Charleston, SC, which she reported as "well worth the time and effort." It is safe to say that Brooklyn is playing a leadership role within the University in terms of e-book assessment and acquisition.

In 2000 the Library ventured into new e-territory by subscribing to netLibrary < www.netlibrary.com >, a large collection of full-text electronic books. While netLibrary titles are read from the PC screen (rather than via the hand-held devices that SoftBook and Rocket E-Book use) the collection of scholarly resources the service offers is quite appealing. netLibrary has adopted a library service model: students check out electronic titles much as they do print ones. The company also provides catalog records for CUNY+. netLibrary will be a boon to distance learners, particularly now that the College offers proxy service to students, enabling them to check out and access e-books from remote locations.

·  The New York State/NYLINK Shared netLibrary Package
In fact, we have bought two different netLibrary packages, one available only to Brooklyn College readers, and one whose books are shared among a number of New York State academic libraries. (We were the first CUNY school to buy into the shared NYS collection of electronic books offered through NYLINK.) The shared collection (initially 1,943 books, at an average of $6.43 per title) is especially strong in university press titles and represents real value for money: print academic monographs average about $50 a volume. As more college and university libraries in New York State join the NYLINK netLibrary project, new titles will be added and our cost per volume will come down accordingly.

What does it mean when we say that the New York State collection is a shared one? netLibrary permits only one user at a time to access a title. However, if usage data show that readers are being turned away, additional copies of any e-book can be purchased. This is an experiment, and as we go along we expect to learn a great deal about both usage and accessability.

·  CUNY Jumps In
Since Brooklyn College purchased its netLibrary collection, the University's Office of Library Services has determined that it will purchase a shared CUNY collection. This will represent a third netLibrary package and increase the critical mass of titles available to Brooklyn College readers. Susan Vaughn is chairing the committee of librarians choosing the titles for this package and will work to control duplication among the three packages. However, a duplicate title is likely to be a high-demand title and will mean that Brooklyn's students have access to two if not three copies of the book. Users will not know from which package any of the 8,000-plus titles comes.

·  ITKnowledge: A Cautionary Tale About the Vicissitudes of the E-Marketplace
http://www.itknowledge.com

"The ITKnowledge sites will be shut down permanently February 28, 2001. At this time, we are processing refunds for outstanding subscriptions. You should receive your refund by March."