Issue 10: Spring 2008
E-books in 2008 - Are librarians and publishers on the same page?
PCG conducted a telephone survey at the beginning of 2008 to interview 100 academic librarians in the United States in order to gather their feedback on their experience with e-books, the impact of this relatively new offering on their budget and their purchasing preference.
Some of the key findings include the following:
- 43% of the librarians contacted anticipate an increase of their budget for e-books for 2008 compared to last year; 1% expect this part of their budget to decrease.
- 85% of the librarians contacted currently purchase e-books as part of a collection and 45% currently acquire individual titles.
- The subject clusters most attractive for e-books for the librarians interviewed are reference, science or computer science titles.
- E-books are perceived as a very convenient tool to broaden libraries’ patrons’ access to quality content but too many technical and practical problems still create barriers.
An Interview with Chuck Hamaker, Associate University Librarian Collections and Technical Services at Atkins Library - University of North Carolina Charlotte
Chuck shares his experience with e-books and the limitations his library currently faces with them. From impractical license agreement clauses to technical challenges, Chuck provides some insights into restrictions he experiences with a product he feels has an enormous potential in the library market.
Library Advisory Board and Focus Group - An overview by Susan Dearborn, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
For over a decade Publishers Communication Group has been providing a service that allows publishers to hear directly from librarians from academic, corporate and government libraries. PCG’s Library Advisory Board (LAB) and Focus Group service offers an opportunity for you to learn how librarians’ environments and user demands affect their decisions regarding your publications.
PCG News and Upcoming events
- We will be at the SSP's Annual Meeting in Boston May 28-30 so call us to schedule a time to speak with us or stop by our stand (22) to meet our team.
- PCG has partnered with Allen Press Publishing Services to provide a comprehensive European marketing program for the Press’ environmental, ecological and medical publications.
- The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and its subsidiary Thomas Telford Publishing, have selected PCG to manage its relationships and increase penetration in the North American library market.