ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 2 0 0 0 / 3 9 1 D i g i t a l b o o k s THE WAY I SEE IT M a k i n g t h e m w o r k f o r p u b l i s h e r s a n d l i b r a r i e s b y D e n n i s D i l l o n N e w t h i n g s a r e m a d e f a m i l i a r , a n d f a m i l ­ i a r t h i n g s a r e m a d e n e w . — S a m u e l J o h n s o n 1 T h e s p e e d w i t h w h i c h l i b r a r i e s a r e s i g n ­ i n g u p w i t h t h e I n t e r n e t s t a r t - u p c o m ­ p a n y n e t L i b r a r y s p e a k s t o t h e p o t e n t i a l v a l u e l i b r a r i e s s e e i n W e b - b a s e d e - b o o k s . W h e n e l e c t r o n i c f o r m a t s f i r s t m a d e t h e i r w a y i n t o l i b r a r i e s , l i b r a r i a n s w e r e i n i t i a l l y i n t e r e s t e d i n e l e c t r o n i c v e r s i o n s o f r e f e r ­ e n c e i n d e x e s b e c a u s e o f t h e i r g r e a t e r e a s e o f u s e a n d a d d e d f u n c t i o n a l i t y . T h e n c a m e e - j o u r n a l s w h i c h m a d e s e r i o u s r e s e a r c h m o r e c o n v e n i e n t f o r t h e l i b r a r y u s e r a n d f r e e d t h e l i b r a r y f r o m h a v i n g t o w o r r y a b o u t m i s s i n g a n d d a m a g e d i s s u e s , a s w e l l p r o v i d i n g r e l i e f f r o m s h r i n k i n g b i n d i n g b u d g e t s . B u t t h e r e w a s o n e m e m b e r m i s s i n g f r o m t h e l i b r a r i a n ’ s t r a d i t i o n a l p r i n t t r i u m v i r a t e o f i n d e x e s , j o u r n a l s , a n d b o o k s — a n d t h a t w a s a n e l e c t r o n i c v e r s i o n o f t h e v e n e r a b l e m o n o g r a p h . Y o u c a n n o t c r e a t e a d i g i t a l l i b r a r y i f y o u d o n ’ t h a v e d i g i t a l v e r s i o n s o f t h e v e r y f o r m a t t h a t c o n s u m e s m o s t o f t h e s p a c e i n a p h y s i c a l l i b r a r y , a n d t h e v e r y f o r m a t t h a t i s t h e b a s i s f o r e v e r y o n e ’ s i d e a o f w h a t a l i b r a r y s h o u l d c o n t a i n — b o o k s . A d i g i t a l l i b r a r y n e e d s d i g i t a l b o o k s . W h i l e l i b r a r i a n s i n h e r e n t l y r e c o g n i z e t h e p o t e n t i a l v a l u e o f e - b o o k s , t h i s d o e s n ’ t m e a n t h a t w e a l l a g r e e o n t h e i r p r o p e r r o l e . I t i s n o t c l e a r h o w l i b r a r y u s e r s w i l l r e ­ s p o n d t o e - b o o k s a n d w h e t h e r e - b o o k s a r e e q u a l l y a p p r o p r i a t e f o r a l l f i e l d s a n d f o r a l l t y p e s o f l i b r a r i e s . N e v e r t h e l e s s , a l l o f u s i n t h e p u b l i s h e r / l i b r a r y i n f o r m a t i o n c h a i n r e c o g n i z e t h a t t h e W e b h a s c h a n g e d p e r c e p t i o n s o f h o w i n f o r m a t i o n m a y b e s h a r e d a n d u s e d . T h e W e b h a s f o r c e d u s t o r e t h i n k o u r c h e r i s h e d c e r t a i n t i e s a n d t o s t r u g g l e w i t h h o w w e c a n t r a n s l a t e o u r t r a ­ d i t i o n a l r o l e s i n t o t h i s n e w e n v i r o n m e n t . W h a t l i b r a r i a n s w a n t f r o m v e n d o r s W h a t d o l i b r a r i e s w a n t f r o m v e n d o r s i n t h i s n e w e n v i r o n m e n t ? L i b r a r i e s w a n t e v e r y ­ t h i n g , a n d t h e y w a n t i t a s c h e a p l y a s t h e y c a n g e t i t . T h i s i s t o b e e x p e c t e d . W e w o u l d a l s o l i k e v e n d o r s t o t h r o w - i n a n e w c a r a n d a H a w a i i a n v a c a t i o n w i t h e v e r y p u r ­ c h a s e , b u t t h i s d o e s n ’ t m e a n t h a t w e e x ­ p e c t t h i s w i s h t o b e f u l f i l l e d . T h e m u c h p u b l i c i z e d b a t t l e s b e t w e e n l i b r a r i a n s a n d p u b l i s h e r s o v e r t h e p r i c e o f c o m m e r c i a l j o u r n a l s , h a v e m a d e l i b r a r i a n s a t a d s u s p i ­ c i o u s a n d e v e n b i t c r a n k y w h e n i t c o m e s t o d i s c u s s i o n s w i t h p u b l i s h e r s . About the author D e n n i s D i l l o n is h e a d o f c o l l e c t i o n s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n r e s o u r c e s a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f T e x a s a t A u s t i n , e - m a i l : d i l l o n @ c c w f. cc. u te x a s . e d u 3 92 / C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 2 0 0 0 … lib ra ria n s w o u ld m uch rath er deal w ith re lia b le p ro fessio n a ls w h en it com es to purchasing e- books… B y a n d la r g e , lib ra ria n s h a v e a d o p t e d a hard lin e b e c a u s e o f th e p h e n o m e n a l p r ic e in c r e a s e s o f th e c o m m e r c i a l jo u r n a l p u b ­ lishers, a n d , to a le s s e r d e g r e e , b e c a u s e o f th e s u d d e n o p p o r t u n it ie s f o r r o l e r e ­ d e fin it io n p r e s e n t e d b y th e In te r n e t, a n d in th e r e c e s s e s o f o u r c o l l e c t i v e m in d s b e ­ ca u se lib ra ria n s a re v e r y a w a r e o f th e p o ­ ten tia l r e d e f i n i t i o n o f th e n a tu re a n d u se o f in fo r m a t io n in a n e t w o r k e d a g e . T h e g r o w t h o f c o n s o r t ia a n d th e s o lid p h ilo s o p h ic a l fr o n t w it h w h i c h lib ra ria n s h a v e m e t th e In t e r n e t a g e h a v e a ls o b e e n m a jo r fa c to r s in o p e n i n g w h a t has b e e n o n th e w h o l e , a n e w l y p r o d u c t i v e , b a l ­ a n c e d , a n d r e a s o n a b l e d i a l o g u e w i t h li­ b ra ry v e n d o r s . W ill e - b o o k s a lte r th e n a tu re o f this d ia ­ lo g u e ? In th e w o r l d o f th e p r in t e d b o o k th ere has a lw a y s b e e n s e l f- p u b lis h e d a u ­ th ors a n d v a n i t y p r e s s e s . A s t r a d it io n a l p u b lis h e rs a re all t o o k e e n l y a w a r e , th e o p p o r t u n it ie s f o r th e s e l f- p u b lis h in g o f e- b o o k s o n th e W e b a re e v e n g r e a t e r th an in th e p rin t w o r l d . T h e b o tt o m line, h o w ­ ever, is that librarians w o u ld m u c h rather deal w ith re lia b le p ro fe s s io n a ls w h e n it c o m e s to purchasing e - b o o k s than p u rch a s e the sa m e titles d ire c tly fr o m authors, a u th o r’s c o o p e r a ­ tives, o r a n y o f th eir n e w l y e m e r g in g su rro­ gates, lik e fatb rain .com . In o th e r w o r d s , p u b ­ lishers can e x p e c t librarians to b e librarians, and fo r librarians to try to g e t the b est d e a l they can o n b e h a lf o f th eir cu stom ers, but they can a lso e x p e c t that librarians w ill b e both practical and realistic. Pricing m o d e ls W h ile th e t r a d it io n a l m o n o g r a p h i c p r ic in g m o d e l o f o n e p r ic e f o r o n e b o o k , p a id in a d v a n c e , a n d c o n v e y i n g p e r m a n e n t rig h ts o f use to th e p u r c h a s e r , h a v e w o r k e d w e l l for c e n tu rie s — it is o n l y to b e e x p e c t e d that the W e b w it h its m u c h g r e a t e r f u n c t i o n a l ­ ity w o u l d ra is e q u e s t io n s a b o u t a lt e r n a t iv e p ric in g m o d e ls . Librarians can b e e x p e c t e d to ask a b o u t short- a n d lo n g -te r m leases, p a y - p e r - v ie w , r e n t-to -o w n , a n d a b o u t sh arin g access to a s in g le e - b o o k a m o n g m a n y d iffe r e n t librar­ ies. Librarians w ill b e th inking ab ou t the m a n y d iffe r e n t uses an e - b o o k can b e put to, and in q u irin g a b o u t p ric in g scen a rio s that m e e t this n e e d . In m a n y w a y s it is h e lp f u l to th in k o f an e - b o o k o n th e W e b n o t as n o t a b o o k at all, b u t as a W e b site. W h a t is th e p r o p e r p r ic e f o r a c c e s s to an u n c h a n g in g W e b site in p e r p e t u it y , o r f o r a d a y , o r to b e a c ­ c e s s e d b y o n e r e a d e r at a tim e , o r b y a t h o u s a n d r e a d e r s at a tim e? W h a t i f th e e - b o o k / W e b s ite is u p d a t e d w i t h r e l a t e d lin k s , a r e a d e r fo r u m , a d d it io n a l a u t h o r c o m m e n t s a n d r e s e a r c h , etc.? H o w s h o u ld th e e - b o o k / W e b site b e p r i c e d th en ? O r w h a t i f th e e - b o o k / W e b s ite f o l l o w s th e I T K n o w l e d g e m o d e l , w h e r e th e lib r a r y s u b s c r ib e s to an e v e r - c h a n g i n g g r o u p o f title s in a p a r tic u la r f i e l d o r d is c ip lin e , in this c a s e e - b o o k s a b o u t in f o r m a t io n t e c h ­ n o lo g y ? T h e s e a re o b v i o u s l y a m o n g th e issu es that w i l l b e w o r k e d o u t o v e r th e n e x t f e w y e a r s , w e l o o k f o r th e m i d d l e g r o u n d that m e e ts th e n e e d s o f au th ors, p u b lis h e rs , d is ­ trib u to rs , lib r a r ie s , a n d r e a d e r s . T h e p rin t p r i c i n g m o d e l , w h i c h a l l o w s lib ra rie s to c h o o s e th e b o o k titles th e y w a n t a n d p u r c h a s e t h o s e title s at a fa ir p r ic e , is a w o r k a b l e m o d e l that a l l o w s b o t h lib r a r ­ ies a n d p u b lis h e r s to a d e q u a t e ly p la n th e ir b u d g e t s a n d c o v e r th e ir co sts. It is to th e a d v a n t a g e o f lib r a r ie s to c o o p e r a t e w it h p u b lis h e r s ( w h o a r e n ’t a lw a y s w e l l c a p i ­ t a liz e d ), au th ors, a n d d is trib u to rs to e x p e r i ­ m e n t a n d fin d s im ila r m o d e ls that w ill w o r k f o r e v e r y o n e in th e W e b e n v ir o n m e n t . T h o s e o f us w h o o c c u p y th e e x is tin g links in the trad ition al ch ain o f s c h o la rly in fo r m a ­ tio n n e e d to fin d w a y s to transfer the in h er­ ent strengths, as w e ll as the c h e c k s a n d b a l­ a n ces o f the tradition al a rra n g e m e n t in to the n e w e n v iro n m e n t. U ltim a te ly it is to n o o n e ’s a d v a n ta g e if the actions o f libraries fin an cially s q u e e z e authors, publishers, and distributors; an d it is n ot to the a d v a n ta g e o f authors, p u b ­ lishers, and distributors to f o r g o the r e lia b il­ ity an d p re d ic ta b ility o f the library m a rk et fo r the u ncertainties o f s e llin g s c h o la rly m a ­ terials d ir e c t ly to c o n s u m e r s . C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 2 0 0 0 / 3 9 3 It is w ith in the p o w e r o f b o th p u b lis h ­ ers a n d lib r a r ie s to u p s e t th e c u r r e n t a p p le c a rt as w e m o v e fro m a p rin t-b a s e d m o n o g r a p h ic d is trib u tio n p a ra d ig m to a W e b -b a s e d m o d e l. But is this an a p p le c a rt e ith e r party w a n ts to turn over? N etL ib ra ry ’s initial p ric in g m o d e l, w h ic h p r o v id e s access to o n e b o o k b y o n e user at a tim e w ith p ric in g , b a s e d o n the trad i­ tion al list p rice, is an in trig u in g and u sefu l p la c e at w h ic h w e can all b e g in ou r e x ­ p erim en ts and discussions. This is a m o d e l w e can all u n derstan d. H o w e v e r , th ere is an infinite n u m b er o f p ricin g variations that can o c c u p y a m atrix s tre tc h e d b e t w e e n o n e -tim e p a y m e n ts and o n g o in g s u b s c rip ­ tions, o r b e t w e e n o th e r p a y m e n t m atrices b a s e d o n u sage, a u d ie n c e size, o r e v e n in te n d e d p u r p o s e to w h ic h the b o o k s w ill b e put. Finding the m iddle ground T h e k e y to m a k in g e - b o o k s w o r k fo r all o f us in the tra d ition a l p u b lish er/ lib ra ry m ar­ ket is to fin d the m id d le g ro u n d that m eets all o f ou r n eed s. At first g la n c e b o th the n etL ib ra ry and I T K n o w l e d g e p ric in g m o d e ls s e e m to b e o n e s that w ill a llo w all o f us to m o v e fo r ­ w a r d and g a th e r initial in fo rm a tio n ab ou t w h e t h e r th e s e p r ic in g a p p r o a c h e s w i l l w o r k f o r a ll c o n c e r n e d p a r t i e s , a n d w h e t h e r th ey w ill m e e t all o f o u r situa­ tion s and n e e d s . I f th es e initial m o d e ls p resen t sig n ifica n t p r o b le m s fo r o n e o f us in the in fo rm a tio n chain, then the m o d e l can b e m o d ifie d . A pproval plan for e-books At the U n iv e rs ity o f T e x a s at Au stin ( U T A ) w e d e v o t e a g rea t d e a l o f tim e and e n e r g y to ou r print a p p r o v a l plans, and w e h a ve b e e n h a p p y w ith the results, w h ic h p r o ­ v id e us w ith a p re d ic ta b le and relia b le f lo w o f c o r e titles fro m a v a r ie ty o f p u b lish ers in th o se fie ld s in w h ic h w e are in terested . W e are in trig u ed b y the p o s s ib ility o f e x ­ te n d in g the a p p r o v a l p la n m o d e l into the e - b o o k arena. Librarian selectors in som e o f our subject fields have already said that they w o u ld like to receive o n ly e -b o o k s and d o not feel the n eed fo r any printed books, w h ile librarian/ selectors in som e o f ou r other fields are tak- Librarians can be expected to ask about short- and long-term leases, pay-per-view, rent-to-own, and about sharing access to a single e- book among many different libraries. ing a w ait-and-see approach to the question o f w h eth er e-b o o k s w ill have any role at all in their area. A n a p p r o v a l p la n c o n c e p t fo r e - b o o k s b a s e d o n th e c u rre n t n e tL ib r a r y m o d e l w o u ld p r o v id e o u r lib ra ry w ith b o th the fle x ib ilit y a n d c o n tr o l to d e te r m in e just w h e r e e - b o o k s p r o v id e o u r lib ra ry w ith b o th the fle x ib ilit y and c o n tro l to d e t e r ­ m in e just w h e r e e - b o o k s s h o u ld fit in to o u r fu tu re plans. Since the U n iv e rs ity o f T e x a s B o a rd o f R e g e n ts h a v e firm ly s te e re d the u n iv e rs ity o n the ro a d to w a r d d istan ce ed u ca tio n , the library is o b v io u s ly a w a re o f e - b o o k n eed s in certa in field s. As o u r reg u la r lib ra ry us­ ers h a v e d is c o v e r e d e - b o o k s in o u r O P A C , th e y h a v e a ls o b e g u n to ask q u e s tio n s a b o u t w h e n w e w ill h a v e e le c t r o n ic v e r ­ sions o f s p e c ific titles that cu rren tly exist o n ly in print. At U T A w e are c o n v in c e d that e - b o o k s are just as m u ch a part o f o u r future as are e-jou rn a ls, e le c t r o n ic in d e x e s , and the e- lin k in g o f citation s and w e are v e r y m u ch c o m m itted to w o r k in g w ith publishers, d is­ tributors, a p p r o v a l p lan v e n d o r s , and any o th e r in tere s te d party to m a k e e - b o o k s a part o f the future. “T ra n s p o rt o f th e m a ils , tr a n s p o r t o f th e h u m a n v o ic e , tr a n s p o r t o f f l i c k e r i n g p i c ­ tures, in th is c e n tu r y as in o th e rs o u r h ig h ­ est a c c o m p lis h m e n ts s till h a v e th e s in g le a im o f b r in g in g m e n to g e th e r. — A n to in e d e S a in t-E x u p ery 2 Notes 1. Sam u el J oh n son , “ P o p e , ” in Lives o f th e E n g lis h P o ets (O x fo r d : At the C la ren d on Press, 1905): 233. 2. A n t o i n e d e S a in t-E x u p e r y , W in d , S a n d a n d S ta rs ( N e w Y o r k : R e y n a l & H itc h c o c k , 1939): 69. ■ 3 9 4 / C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 2 0 0 0