WebJunction - E-Books and Digital Audio Books

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Note: Several vendors are mentioned in this article. Our intention is to provide examples of the kinds of electronic book resources available, not to recommend particular vendors. As always, use your best judgment, your own experience, and the advice of colleagues to make vendor selections. To discuss vendors and other aspects of this topic, join the WebJunction discussion about e-books and audio e-books.

E-Books (from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebook ) are electronic or digital versions of books. You read a hard cover book; you read an e-book as well, only digitally, not print. This means the text of the book is in a digital format and needs a digital device to be read. E-books come in various digital formats and use various devices that can be used to read them. An audio book according to Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org) is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud. It is usually distributed on compact discs (CDs), cassette tapes, or digital formats (such as MP3 -- http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MP3.html ).

The format of e-books ranges from plain text, image files, or HTML to company specific products, such as Microsoft, eReader, or Mobipocket. They can be read on a computer or handheld devices (such as Palm, PocketPC, WinCE, Psion) or a special e-book reader (such as Rocket e-book, softbook, etc.) and even certain cell phones! Be sure to check with the specific company as some e-books can only be read with specific software and devices. However, the environment of proprietary devices to read e-books on is slowly evaporating.

There are also several formats for audio e-books. Audible.com has downloadable audio e-books, but they must be played on a player which is “Audible-ready.” A list of such devices can be found on their website. audio e-books from OverDrive and netLibrary/Recorded Books are in Windows Media Audio(WMA) format so they can be used on over 500 devices compatible with WMA files. Audio books can also be played on cell phones that have enough memory and that provide this capability. These formats cause some problems for libraries in that WMA will not play on the Apple iPod, the most popular MP3 player currently available.

For libraries, e-books can expand a collection without needing physical space and they are now very economical. Try reference or technical type e-books to start with – books patrons will read part of, or use for finding information - before you dive into the world of fiction. You can buy just a few e-books or thousands. You can even create your own e-library branch! Check out this great cooperative project in Illinois: http://www.libwise.com/fondulac/.

Downloadable audio e-books offer the same advantages as e-books. Libraries can offer them on the Internet without having to provide physical space. Most audio e-books are of a more popular than technical nature. The collection may be set up as self-service so the patron can peruse and browse the collection 24/7 at their convenience, select a book, check it out, download it and listen to it on their computer, burn a CD in some cases, or transfer it to a portable device. When the book is due, the book checks itself back in, automagically becoming available to the next person, with the file unreadable on the previous borrower’s computer. Check out a number of libraries offering audio e-books through OverDrive at http://www.overdrive.com and netLibrary at http://www.oclc.org/audiobooks/default.htm.

Another consideration for audio e-books is their value to print-impaired patrons. The results of a recent accessibility and usability study for this population, conducted for the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center, make good food for thought as you consider the appropriateness of audio e-books for this purpose.

Purchasing

Numerous companies sell e-books and most allow the library to set its own specifications: the right package, borrowing time period, number of simultaneous users of one title, etc. Pricing can range depending on how many e-books you want access to, simultaneous use and cooperative buy-ins. Be sure to check if you have any regional or statewide cooperative agreements with specific vendors so you can get a better deal. Check out the BCR’s shared collections which libraries can buy into at a much better rate then directly from the company. http://www.bcr.org/reference/Netlibrary/NL-Menu.html Many libraries (from very small to large) are taking this route to buy e-books for their libraries.

There are just a few companies right now working with libraries to offer audio e-books. These include OverDrive, OCLC/netLibrary, Tumble-books, and Audible.com. Points to examine when choosing a vendor include: purchase or subscription, individual library or consortium buy, unlimited access or one-at-a-time use, and read online only or download/transfer to a player."

Library Policies

Lastly, you need to decide if you will check out devices as well as the books, to your patrons. This depends largely on your patrons and the company you decide to use. Are your patrons already using iPods or carrying PocketPC? Perhaps this will be clearer when e-books are available to your public. Many companies offer downloads from the website to a computer and nothing more. Netlibrary e-books, for example, cannot be read on handheld readers. Be sure to check the specifics with the company you choose before deciding on devices to lend.

Some libraries offering audio e-books are checking them out on players – take a look at the Listen Illinois (http://www.listenillinois.org) project. Working with Audible.com, the library has to check out books on a player for the patron or the patron has to come to the library to check out a book on their own device. Audible.com does not have a library management system to allow patron self service. NetLibrary/Recorded Books and OverDrive offer the option for patrons to help themselves from their home or office and transfer audio books to their own devices. Library cards and pin numbers are required for netLibrary and OverDrive. Both have wonderful library management systems which provide librarians with great statistics on use. Tumble-books must be read online, but are available 24/7 and offer multi simultaneous access, even for an entire classroom.

A New Emerging Model

A new and very interesting model will emerge this fall for e-books and audio books this fall from Playaway (http://www.playawaydigital.com) as they introduce “the world’s first self-playing digital audio book.” For the same price of $35-40 as a consumer or library would pay for an audio book on cassette, CD, or download, they can purchase an audio book about the size of a playing card. One side has the book cover and the other has controls for volume, fast forward, and so forth. With this model, no one has to worry about the file format, whether they have a computer or not, or what kind of player to use. This model is most like print, where the book itself is self-contained.

Issues, Challenges, and Concerns

There are a number of important issues to consider before a library should offer e-books or audio e-books to patrons. We will discuss a few.

1. Will the library provide handheld devices or e-book players, or is this the responsibility of the patron?

Some argue libraries should provide these to be sure everyone has access, not just people who can afford to buy these. When the library offers these, they must budget for them; they must load them (which is very time consuming); and offer technical support for them. How many is the right number to buy? You may never be able to buy enough. The technology on handheld players is changing so quickly, it is difficult to justify investing in devices. A popular device one month may be obsolete in six months.

2. Should the library choose a subscription plan or purchase e-books?

With subscription plans for e-books or audio books, you are only paying for access for a year. The collection never actually belongs to your library. If you do purchase a collection, do some research on the vendor to see how long they have been around. Will they be around in five years in the same business, hosting collections?

3. Who will provide technical support?

Will the library provide support – by phone or email? Does the company provide support? Ask the company how many technical problems they have encountered with their system. Some of these systems are fairly self-explanatory with few technical problems.

4. To catalog or not to catalog?

Another consideration is if you will place records for e-books and audio books in your online catalog. An obvious answer might be yes, but you need to see if the vendor providing the e-books or audio books works with online systems, what online systems they work with, and if there are any extra costs to do this.

5. What other things should a library consider when working with vendors?

In working with vendors, you may want to consider working with a vendor which offers multiple formats. Many vendors offer only one type of digital book – such as Adobe e-books, or audio books. There are a few that work with text based and audio books. Consider the problems or benefits working with more than one vendor or just one vendor.

Here are a few companies to check out:

LibWise http://www.libwise.com/pricing.htm - great for small libraries, starting at $29.95/month for 250 checkouts with many other options

Netlibrary http://www.netlibrary.com/ - now a division of OCLC. It has a partnership with Baker & Taylor, one of the largest distributors of e-books. Also offers audio books.

Books 24/7 - http://www.books24x7.com/ - features reference type collections of materials to read online.

OverDrive – http://www.overdrive.com - features a variety of different types of e-books in different formats. Also offers audio books, music, old-time radio shows, and video soon.

Here are a few good audio book companies to check out:

OverDrive – http://www.overdrive.com - Downloadable audio books for adults and children in Windows Media Audio format; old-time radio shows; music; soon video from a number of vendors. One quality, downloadable in sections. Can be read on computer or handheld device.

NetLibrary/Recorded Books –http://www.oclc.org/audiobooks/default.htm - Downloadable audio books for adults and children in Windows Media Audio format, over 700 titles available. Two qualities: radio quality for dial-up downloads and stereo quality for broadband downloads. Can be read on computer or handheld device.

Tumble-books – http://www.tumble-books.com - Audio books, customizable large print books for adults and children, Read-Alongs combining large print and audio for adults and children – these can be read online. Animated audio e-books for children which can be read online.

Audible.com – http://www.audible.com - Downloadable audio books, magazines, radio content for adults and children. Four qualities. Can be read on computer or handheld device.

Playaway – http://www.playawaydigital.com - Self-playing digital audio book. No computer necessary – device and book are one for checkout or listening.