Indiana Library Directors' Perceptions of e-Book Patron-Driven Acquistions

Abstract

A recent survey of collection librarians at large academic libraries with patron-driven e-book acquisition programs (e-book PDA) has shown that a majority of these librarians support the programs and believe that patrons choose good quality e-books that have higher circulation rates than e-books selected by librarians.  E-book PDA is becoming an increasingly common method of building digital collections in large academic libraries.  In smaller academic libraries, however, there are still relatively few e-book PDA programs.  To get some idea of how many e-book PDA programs there are in smaller academic libraries, to learn about the directors’ attitudes toward such programs, and to see whether attitudes vary according to the size of the institutions, the authors conducted a survey of directors of libraries in Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI), an association of mostly small academic libraries.  With responses from 28 out of 73 ALI directors, the survey revealed that 82% (n=23) of the libraries do not have e-book PDA programs, even though 82% (n=23) of the directors, regardless of the size of their institution, have positive attitudes toward the propositions that patrons would choose good quality e-books that these e-books would likely circulate. Reasons given for the directors’ reluctance to pursue e-book PDA include the lack of time and of staff, concerns with the wide variety of ways e-books are accessed, and the resistance of some patrons to e-books.  The authors address these concerns and encourage smaller institutions to consider e-book PDA.