Oxford, Rice and Open universities created a buzz recently by adding digital books to the lectures and other materials available for downloading through iTunes.
Among the new listings is Shakespeare’s First Folio.
While downloading a copy of The Tempest onto a lightweight e-reader may be tempting, university libraries and bookstores have one major advantage over the growing phenomenon of e-books and e-readers – its people, says Jennifer Robinson, communications and outreach librarian for Western Libraries.
“iTunes is simply another distribution channel for content,” Robinson says, noting much of the content uploaded onto iTunes U is already part of the public domain, meaning it isn’t under copyright and is already available for free through several online resources, including Western Libraries.
“People notice when iTunes does stuff because it’s sexy and it’s out there,” she says. “But libraries have a lot of the same content; our distribution systems, our search mechanisms are just different. People don’t notice them as much.”
In fact, Western Libraries provides free access to several electronic versions of texts and journals. For example, The Tempest is available in a print and electronic version, an electronic recording of the opera version, microform and a video. Even digital copies of the Cliffs Notes for the play are available through Western Libraries.
Western’s e-books also have read-aloud features, embedded video and stream music clips. Patrons can search for online/digital content through the library catalogue by limiting the search to electronic versions only.
The new addition of several e-books to iTunes U doesn’t mean that students are going to stop going to the library, they just might change the way students use the library, Robinson says.
“iTunes U provides the information, but what are you doing with it?” she asks.
In spite of the growing percentage of the population with e-book readers, it has not impacted the gate count at Western Libraries. In fact, the number of people using campus libraries is on the rise.
“We are seeing students like the discovery in digital, but they want to read it in print. When you are in the library, it gives students a chance to talk about what they are finding.”
After looking over the electronic version of a text, often students request a print copy, she notes.
While it may seem like an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to download e-books from iTunes U, students must take into consideration it does require some front-end costs, namely the purchase of an e-book reader, such as an iPad or an iPod. Other e-book readers, like the Amazon Kindle, which starts at $139 US, can be expensive because they are proprietary and require you purchase a compatible version of e-books.
Unlike the electronic versions (pdf is the most common format) available through Western Libraries, these electronic texts available through iTunes U cannot be viewed on a desktop or laptop computer.
“We are getting closer to being able to have students download those kinds of information to their portable devices,” says Robinson, noting publishers, not libraries, are throwing on the brakes due to digital copyright concerns and requirements.
Western Libraries also operates an open-access repository, Scholarship @ Western, which is an online portal collecting, showcasing and archiving materials created or sponsored by The University of Western Ontario.
The university’s libraries are strategically investing in digital copies of texts and journals because it is less costly to store and it allows for different forms of discovery, such as connecting to videos or audio links, Robinson explains.
Other e-book sources offering public domain texts are Google Books, Internet Archive (which includes digitized documents by Western Archives), and Scholars Portal, an initiative provided by the Ontario Council of University Libraries.
Stephen Cribar, The Book Store at Western sales manager, says the new additions to iTunes U are not direct competition for the campus store. “Most of that stuff that is posted is public domain, meaning it has gone out of copyright. There is a lot of free content out there,” Cribar says.
The Book Store at Western had an e-bookstore from the late 90s to mid-2000s, but it was shut down due to lack of interest. Now with the e-book readers gaining in popularity, it has created a resurgence of demand for electronic/digital copies of texts.
The Book Store at Western offers several e-book course materials. Students purchase an access code and download the materials onto their home computer.
“From The Book Store’s point of view, we’ll deliver the course materials in any format the students want. If it is going towards an electronic/digital format, we will be there,” says Cribar.
“Certainly academic books are at the forefront of any changes that happen. It’s a little easier to cross over with digital materials in learning.”
It is an ongoing debate within the trade about whether the electronic version should be cheaper than the hardcopy, but many rights holders say ‘no,’ he adds.
While there are obvious shifts happening in the industry, Cribar finds most students still want a tangible copy of course materials. But among the advantages of e-books is portability.
“If you have an e-reader, you can store unlimited quantities of material on your device,” he says.
“We are not afraid of digitalization,” says Cribar. “This is another way for people to get reading materials. I don’t think you are going to see the end of a paper book.”