FEATURE Feature Ebooks and aggregators


short-term spikes in demand (for instance when a particular course is running) drive purchases that may not be of value to the library in years to come. The next generation model, which Cambridge offers direct, is evidence-based acquisition (EBA). EBA opens the platform (or selections as the library wishes) to access free at the point of use. Often, an amount to be spent from the library budget is committed beforehand, and over an extended period (typically six months) that the content is used.


At the end of the term, the library decides which books to spend its allocated budget on, based on usage over the period. This results in a more proven value to the institution than the much more immediate DDA models, though it requires


‘Certain institutes in the US are now almost 100 per cent digital’


both a wait for revenue recognition and ongoing management by the publisher if done well. We would welcome a shift in library acquisition ethos (and necessarily, budgeting models) to embrace more subscription access, which is both a lesser initial outlay for the library and more sustainable for both parties than outright purchase. The logical outcome of both the DDA and EBA models is drawing down


on published content from online services, by way of subscription. And this could be for mixed content including journals and databases too.


For this to be effective, the industry needs appropriate standards for archiving and disaster recovery. Experiments with short-term loan (STL) access have been unsuccessful for publishers, but further developments of these models are coming and signpost a cloud-based future.


Do you see ebook budgets continuing to grow over the next few years? Are there any regional differences around the world, in terms of uptake and growth trends?


Bruinsma: I expect that, in academic markets, the current trend will continue with slow but steady growth of ebook budgets at the expense of print books. It also depends on the progress libraries make in developing new acquisition practices in a digital world. Many libraries seem to struggle either to escape rigid print-based practices, or in trying to torture digital acquisition into these age-old procedures. Doyle: The growth of aggregators has slowed a lot over the last 18 months as librarians increasingly prefer purchase to own content on publisher platforms (‘firm orders’ ebook sales are dropping). However, growth is very strong in demand-driven models like short-term loans, and more so with patron driven (PDA) and demand


driven access (DDA) models. Aggregators are very important partners to us; giving libraries more options to access the content they need.


I think DDA/PDA is another example of a good way for libraries to collect data to ensure they can accurately meet the needs of their patrons and, if managed right, save them money. Bennett: It’s undoubtedly true that third- party resellers of online publishing content fulfil an important function for libraries owing to consolidation, especially in the second-tier institutions that may not have the resource to manage multiple vendor platforms. However, it is testimony to both the challenges in the sector and the success of discovery and purchasing systems that ebook distribution itself has consolidated significantly. Acquisitions in the last year leave only two large-scale competitors in the mainstream content aggregation / distribution business, and I expect that the periphery around them will contract yet further.


Ebooks will continue to grow for the medium term but overall book budgets will probably be flat in real terms. Certain institutes in the US are now almost 100 per cent digital, but there are still some patron demands and specific use-case needs for print that they fulfil. There are also many libraries still working out how to build a digital service. Europe is following but there are many examples of 100 per cent digital libraries – especially in northern Europe.


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12 Research Information APRIL/MAY 2016


@researchinfo www.researchinformation.info


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