Goucher College Library Circulating Collection Balance: ebooks vs. print
2018-2019
296,000 ebooks
247,000 print items (i.e., "books")
2020
770,032 ebooks
219,000 print items (i.e., "books")
[+474,032 or +160%]
[- 28,000 or -11%]
"The Library purchases access [to ebooks] which is provided through the
publisher's [Internet] platform. Ebooks aren't stored anywhere in
the Library's electronic files. Each platform has terms [of
access], and each item has terms as well. For instance, there are
differences in permissions to download, or the number of users allowed
at once. The terms of titles usually don't change after purchase,
and I've only seen very minor changes to platform terms. It could
always happen of course, but libraries can and do boycott publishers
who change terms drastically."--Stephanie Sopka, Goucher Library
Collection Services Librarian, email to AS, 1/28/22.
Recent examples of library boycotts of major publishers (referred to AS by SS)--
Alex Fox and Jeffrey Brainard, "University of California boycotts
publishing giant Elsivier over journal costs and open access," Science, 28 February 2019.
Moira Macdonald, "Here's how Macmillan's new e-book policy will affect Seattle and King County library patrons," Seattle Times, October 29,2019.
https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/seattle-and-king-county-library-patrons-will-start-seeing-a-change-in-access-to-macmillan-e-books-starting-this-week/