ABCD springer.

com

10 Steps to
Implementing an
eBook Collection
A Guide for Librarians

BEST
ES
P R AC T I C
springer.com 10 Steps to Implementing an eBook Collection

10 Best Practices for Acquiring and

Implementing an eBook Collection
Acquiring and implementing an eBook collec- departmental tension, and become extremely
tion is a major business process upheaval, costly. To avoid these pitfalls and ensure that
requiring significant planning and resources. libraries enjoy the smoothest possible transi-
Entering into an eBook arrangement without tion to eBooks, Springer has prepared the
fully analyzing internal processes, user needs, following list of best practices for implementing
and publisher offerings can disrupt existing an eBook strategy.
acquisitions and operations, create intra-

The 10 Steps
1. Determine Your Collection Development Strategy
Libraries typically assemble their eBook collec- frequently searched material in which content
tions through one of two strategies – “pick and freshness is critical. Generally, reference
choose” or “critical mass.” The pick and choose materials and monographs, particularly in
strategy, in which librarians acquire individual the Science, Technology and Medicine (STM)
titles, provides institutions with the flexibility to fields, are most amenable to eBook collec-
supplement their print catalogs with targeted tions. STM users tend to be more familiar with
selections and ease into an eBook strategy very online research than those of other disciplines,
slowly. Because pick and choose acquisition and their research styles expose the advan-
strategies require less initial investment of time tages of eBooks very quickly. Ms. Jane Miller,
and budget, they are often easier for institu- Electronic Information Systems & Services
tions to accept. However, over the long term, Librarian of Victoria University, Melbourne
greater overall costs and more restrictive Digital echoed this sentiment. “In 5 years print and
Rights Management (DRM) policies can make eBooks purchase will be equal and eBooks will
pick and choose an unattractive proposition. be universally accepted by users. In 10 years
eBooks will be the norm … in science and
The critical mass strategy consists of focusing business.”
initial acquisitions on building a mass of
subject-specific content large enough to After establishing sufficient coverage in a high-
encourage intense usage. While critical mass demand area, libraries should seek a group of
strategies do not provided the specificity of “early adopters,” willing to experiment with all
pick and choose, they are more cost-effec- available research features.
tive, tend to have less restrictive DRM policies By interviewing these users about research
attached to content, and provide more overall tools and methods, librarians can begin broad-
content usage for a given budget. ening their collections with a realistic assess-
ment of user needs.
When pursuing a critical mass strategy,
Librarians should begin with high-demand,
 10 Steps to Implementing an eBook Collection springer.com

2. Evaluate Different Business Models

Once they have completed their early adopter systems. Without these, electronic collections
interviews, librarians should use that data to will remain an island until librarians dedicate
evaluate a number of critical vendor policies. resources to the time-consuming, expensive
The most critical features to assess are: task of manual catalog integration.

7 Digital Rights Management (DRM) 7 Ownership vs. subscription

DRM technologies protect content publishers’ Many eBook publishers have adopted an
rights by limiting the end user’s ability to copy, ongoing subscription model popular with
forward, or otherwise manipulate content. other digital services. This leaves libraries’ most
These protections may inhibit users’ research critical assets vulnerable to contract disputes,
methods, countering many of the values of the publisher’s financial well-being, and other
electronic documents (such as cut and paste), acts beyond the library’s control. Librarians
or the ability to have multiple users access should seek out publishers who provide the
content simultaneously. Selecting a vendor same level of content ownership found in the
with the smallest possible amount of DRM will printed book world.
increase user satisfaction and content usage.
7 Archiving policies
7 Number of concurrent users Libraries should retain day-to-day and long-
Some vendors place restrictions on simulta- term access to eBook content, regardless of
neous access, limiting each piece of content changes in a publisher’s status. To fulfill these
to a small number of users. While any number requirements, publishers should provide
of concurrent users greater than one is an perpetual content access to libraries in business
improvement over printed material, libraries agreements and participate in an archiving
should seek out providers with no user limita- program such as LOCKSS , CLOCKSS or PORTICO
tions or very high limits, as many electronic to ensure that content persists. Libraries should
titles, will have very high demand spikes. also require that contracts provide access to
archived versions of periodicals, ensuring that
7 COUNTER compliance users can perform historical searches in one
The Counting Online Usage of Networked location.
Electronic Resources (COUNTER) initiative is
the de facto standard for usage measurement 7 Flexibility
in the reference industry, allowing librarians to Each library is different, and librarians should
compare usage statistics between publishers seek out publishers who are willing to provide
and institutions. Publishers that do not flexible package arrangements. For example,
provider COUNTER-compliant tools will be diffi- content packages based on subject collection
cult to benchmark, making cost-justifications or research intensity allow librarians the ability
difficult and time-consuming, if not impossible. to supplement their collections cost-effectively
by paying for the content they need most.
7 Availability of MARC records
Vendors should supply MARC records in an
easily-imported format to allow librarians to
integrate electronic collections into their OPAC
 no.printing
10 Steps to Implementing an eBook Collection springer.com

no.printing
3. Gain Internal Support
The users must be gradually brought to ment strategies and business models of various
accept (eBooks). That was our idea with the publishers. To help internal supporters convince

no.printing
Springer offering, to take a big leap forward their peers, institutions should turn to other
with the eBooks and try to make clear to the librarians who have made successful eBook
people what possibilities eBooks offer. transitions, inviting them to share their stories.
Dr. Peter te Boekhorst, Head of Acquisi-

no.printing
tions, General Library, University of Muenster, Content publishers can provide statistics,
Germany librarian referrals, and other helpful resources.
For example, Springer has helped 130

no.printing
Institutions should create widespread under- libraries worldwide libraries implement eBook
standing and acceptance of eBooks within their programs, recently fielded and in-depth inter-
library community before releasing new initia- national interview and survey of six leading
tives to users. They should begin by educating libraries, and can provide a wealth of anecdotal

no.printing
Subject Specialists and Librarian Liaisons on and statistical information to help librarians
the benefits of eBooks versus print books and champion eBooks.
discussing the different collection develop-

no.printing
4. Plan Policy Changes with Subject Specialists/
Librarian Liaisons

no.printing
Any eBook introduction will require budgetary tions department. Institutions that encounter
and acquisition policy changes, as well as an budgetary conflicts should enlist the help of

no.printing
inventory of user behaviors and needs. Before other librarians who have implemented eBook
implementing an eBook strategy, institutions programs.
should invite all relevant personnel to discuss
what changes need to be made to library At this point, libraries should also estimate

no.printing
procedures and policies for acquiring eBooks usage profiles by type or asset, since these can
versus print books. impact vendor choice, licensing agreements,
and ultimately, budget constraints. Examples
Libraries should first discuss how the acquisi- of factors to consider in this process include,

no.printing
tion of e-books will impact approval plans the estimated umber of concurrent content
of titles in print, and what acquisitions and viewers, user search behavior, the number of
processing operations will change to accommo- access points (e.g. one library, multiple libraries,
date the purchase of e-books. After confirming or Web-connected home PCs), and the neces-

no.printing
procedural changes, they should evaluate sity of printing documents. Librarians should
budgetary sources for eBook acquisition. This is also take special note of their early adopter’s
often a matter of some contention, as desig- needs. By acquiring appropriate content for no.printing
nated “book” librarians or individual depart- these users, libraries can build internal success
ments may be unwilling to part with portions stories they can use to build support for future
of their budgets for a centralized eBook acquisi- acquisitions.
no.printing

5. Discuss implementation with technical staff

After establishing business needs, libraries Libraries choosing to load locally may require
no.printing

should enlist their IT or cataloging depart- additional hardware and software during the
ments, or perhaps, their consortia to discuss initial loading phase, with processes, training,
requirements and timelines for loading and a smaller subset of those resources in place
MARC records into the library environment so for ongoing additions.
no.printing

that end users will find the texts they need.

no.printing

springer.com 10 Steps to Implementing an eBook Collection

no.printing

6. Choose Collections and Vendors

After determining a collection development 7 Collection size and breadth
strategy and choosing a business model, 7 Availability of MARC records
no.printing

libraries can begin ordering collections. Within 7 Packaged content versus a pick and choose
the categories established in Step 1, librarians model
should select their collections and vendors by 7 Archive access
balancing: 7 Unlimited usage and ownership
no.printing

7. Link eBooks to the OPAC

no.printing

Once they have access to their eBook collection, That information can be in the form of MARC
librarians need to make the collection visible to Records, or URL lists that can be inserted in the
users. eBook publishers should provide ways OPAC, Linkresolvers, as well as A-Z lists.
no.printing

through which patrons can find eBook content.

8. Communicate to Users
no.printing

The resources are very expensive so when we users. The eBook vendor or Publisher should be
buy them we want them to be used as must as able to provide tools to assist in this process.
no.printing

possible. So it is the library’s responsibility as Librarians should check their publisher’s Web
well to promote these new acquisitions. site for on-site and remote training, banner ads,
Mr. Antero Laiho, Head of Collections, Univer- downloadable posters, and other promotional
sity Library of Turku, Finland aids. Libraries should also use email, intranets,
no.printing

and departmental forums to spread the word.

To get the most out from eBook investments,
libraries should promote their collection to
no.printing

9. Download Usage Statistics

no.printing

With a successful implementation completed, If a publisher provides COUNTER-compliant

libraries should evaluate the speed at which statistics, libraries can compare these with
users are embracing the new eBook collection other libraries in various stages of eBook
and the research methods they are adopting. adoption.
no.printing

10. Review / Renew

no.printing

After three to six months of use, libraries should emerging needs. Publishers should be able to
interview users and evaluate their future needs. provide tools, case studies, and client refer-
They should then contact their publisher ences to address the majority of these needs,
to plan the upcoming year’s renewals and and any new suggestions will drive business
no.printing

purchases and discuss these needs the tech- and product development in the future.
nology and processes that might meet their
no.printing

Visit springer.com/librarians for other resources!

no.printing
 10 Steps to Implementing an eBook Collection springer.com

The Springer eBooks Collection

Springer is the world’s second-largest access to more than 20,000 English- information and library community in
publisher of journals in the STM (Science, language eBooks and journals, with a total the past year. Springer has pioneered the
Technology, Medicine) sector, the largest catalog of more than 23,000 electronic largest compilation of electronic books,
publisher of STM books, and the largest titles available on Springerlink.com. and offer users unlimited, perpetual access,
business-to-business publisher in the The Springer eBook Collection has from anywhere around the globe.
German-language area. Springer offers garnered awards and accolades from the

Springer’s Support for the Ten Steps

Springer provides an unparalleled combi- acquire, implement, and refine their eBook Following is a list of some of the ways
nation of experience, technology, and collections. Springer can help.
process knowledge to help libraries

The Springer Advantage

Step 1 Determine Your Collection Development Strategy
Springer offers solutions to fit the needs of any collection strategy. It offers 13 subject collection packages for
those building critical mass, and also offers librarians the ability to pick and choose titles via third party
vendors.
Step 2 Evaluate Different Business Models
Springer offers a very flexible library friendly business models. Specifically, its direct model provides the following
7 Perpetual ownership of content.
7 Unlimited simultaneous usage of content.
7 Permissive, unobtrusive DRM.
7 Electronic access to select book series back to 1997.
Springer also offers budget-friendly options via third party vendors.
Learn more about Springer eBooks, please visit springer.com/ebooks.
Step 3 Gain Internal Support
Since most academic libraries already purchase Springer books, the Springer brand should help librarians gain internal
support for eBook initiatives. Springer can also provide white papers, testimonials, Webinars, and other materials to
help educate institutions on the benefits of eBooks.
Springer offers eBook summits & panel discussions where eBook vendors and library customers discuss models and
implementation practices. Current listings are available at springer.com/ebooks.
Step 4 Plan Policy Changes with Subject Specialists/Librarian Liaisons
Springer can help institutions set-up a 60-day institutional trial to help subject specialists, librarian liaisons, and users
evaluate eBooks. Then you can gather usage data and internal support…
Step 5 Discuss implementation with technical staff
Springer provides eBook customers with basic MARC records. Enhanced MARC records for the 2007 copyright year
will be available via OCLC for WorldCat subscribers by the end of 2007, with 2005, 2006, and ongoing years available
shortly thereafter. Learn more about Springer eBooks, please visit springer.com/ebooks.
Step 6 Choose Collections and Vendors
With its collection breadth, liberal DRM policies, absolute content ownership, and proactive archiving policies,
Springer provides libraries with all the tools they need to implement a successful eBook program.
Step 7 Link eBooks to the OPAC
In addition to providing raw data, Springer offers technical support for MARC records implementation and consultants
with years of relevant experience.
Step 8 Communicate to Users
Springer can help set up training, provide promotional materials, and assist with email campaigns.

Step 9 Download Usage Statistics

Springer is one of the first eBook vendors to support COUNTER for eBooks.
Step 10 Review / Renew
Springer licensing managers are happy to assist with program evaluation and help build a solution catered to a
library’s needs.
© Springer 11/07 401423013 M1134