606 College & Research Libraries November 2011 research library engaged in the effort to become more productively involved in the entire life cycle of knowledge: its creation, critique, and dissemination. If the library, following Carlyle, once found itself at the heart of the university by virtue of its manifestation as a collection of books, the library of the future, accord- ing to these authors, is better understood as a place of conversation; a place for discovery, reflection, and play; a genera- tor of creative associations between the notes of the author and the notebook of the reader.—David Michalski, University of California, Davis. Ksenija Mincic-Obradovic. E-books in Academic Libraries. Oxford, United Kingdom: Chandos, 2011. 203p. $80 (ISBN 9781843345862). Written by Ksenjia Mincic-Obradovic, E- books in Academic Libraries is based on the author’s experience with e-books at the University of Auckland Library. Chapter 1, the Introduction, discusses the e-book collection at the University of Auckland library and offers a synopsis of the re- maining chapters. In chapter 2, “The (Magical) World of E-books,” the author discusses the evolu- tion of e-books, what e-books are, types of e-books, and how e-books function in academics. Some of the advantages of e- books she mentions include that they can be accessed from anywhere, anytime; they save space in the physical library; users can conduct full-text searches; and they are enriched with other media. This chap- ter concludes with some disadvantages of e-books such as the need for a device and software; the variety of formats; ability for users to read on a computer or device screen; compatibility with cita- tion management software; and technical requirements such as keeping up with the latest versions of software and hardware. The next chapter, “Between Publish- ers and Library Needs,” looks at a host of issues dealing with “the complexity of e-books as a medium.” For instance, there are a number of e-book publishers and a variety of publishing practices among commercial providers. In addition, free e-books are often produced by individual authors, government agencies, and li- braries. One section focuses on libraries as publishers of e-books, while other sections look at pricing and purchase models and copyright and digital rights management. The meat of the work is in chapter 4, “Developing and Managing E-book Col- lections.” As the author notes, academic libraries are generally moving from print to electronic resources and are shifting more of their budget to e-resources. As the “e-book environment is pretty much unstable and unpredictable” and “it is difficult to create and apply an e-book col- lection development policy,” the author provides some options for how to handle e-books in terms of selecting and buying; providing access; cataloging; interlibrary loan; and preservation. Mincic-Obradovic provides a checklist of questions to ask when considering e-book purchases; and, in the cataloging section, she discusses the need for catalog records for e-books and talks about the pros and cons of single, separate, and provide-neutral records. Chapter 5, “Connecting with Users,” and chapter 6, “New Opportunities,” will especially appeal to public services librarians. In chapter 5, the author men- tions several surveys, including two conducted at her own institution, that looked at e-book use. With the University of Auckland surveys, the author wanted to see what users knew about e-books and what their perceptions were. In chapter 6, Mincic-Obradovic looks at the potential of e-books in teaching and learning and highlights some e-books developed to support university courses. Each is en- riched with audio, video, and the like. Mincic-Obradovic concludes the book with “Future Considerations”: barriers to adoption; e-books in relation to study and research; lack of relevant content; and opportunities e-books bring to academic libraries. Among the barriers to adop- tion are lack of standards, lack of user Book Reviews 607 awareness, and lack of seamless access. The chapter concludes with a brief sec- tion on the future of e-books in academic libraries. A well-written and timely book on the topic, E-books in Academic Libraries is a good overview on the subject and is rec- ommended for those in libraries without large e-book collections or those wanting to know more on the topic.—Nicole Mitch- ell, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Martin Hopkinson. Ex Libris: The Art of Bookplates. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2011. 111p. $15.00 (ISBN 9780300171631). LC2011-0519. Ex Libris: The Art of Bookplates is a confec- tion—attractive and fascinating at first glance, but seemingly limited in scope and usefulness. Martin Hopkinson, for- mer Curator of Prints at the Hunterian Art Gallery (University of Glasgow), of- fers here “a personal selection from the substantial collection of bookplates held by the British Museum.” It is described on the cover flap as a “treasury of ex libris art and lore,” but it is essentially one man’s informed and practiced lens focused on the art and design of the bookplate from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It is a small, short book: 100 illustra- tions on 111 pages. The text consists of a five-page Introduction, a caption for each image (ranging from 20 to 100 words), and a one-page section on further read- ing. For all that, the writing is both tight and graceful, and the author manages to teach us a great deal with very few words. It would be a mistake to leave this work out of a collection of books about books, or even a collection of art and design. Bookplates (or ex libris, Latin for “from the books of ”) derive from the medi- eval practice of including coats of arms (or sometimes portraits) at the front of prayer books to indicate ownership. Most bookplates were armorial in nature until the mid-eighteenth century, when other imagery (of books or landscapes) crept in. By the mid-nineteenth century, the picto- rial bookplate was the fashion—using emblematic and symbolic images, as well as employing visual puns. One example of visual punning is the bookplate for John Cargill Brough (c. 1870), featuring a jay-bird flying above a stormy sea (that is, J.C. Brough = jay sea be rough). 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Extent and nature of circulation (Average figures denote the average number of copies printed each issue during the preceding twelve months; actual figures denote actual number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: September 2011 issue.) 15a. Total number of copies (Net press run): average 13,569; actual 13,553. 15b(1) Paid/Requested Outside County: average 12,418; actual 12,375. 15c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: average 13,569; actual 13,553. 15d(1). Free distribution by Mail Outside-County: average 4; actual 4. 15e. Total free distribution: average 4; actual 4. 15f. Total Distribution: average 12,422; actual 12,379. 15g. Copies not Distributed: average 1,147; actual 1,174. 15h. Total: average 13,569; actual 13,553. 15i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: average 99%; actual 99%.