[Mla-cds] Question about options when a current textbook is not available online--synopsis of some replies

[Ramune Kubilius]

Hi,

See below my signature line. I had posted an e-mail on this list and 
sent around a few targetted letters, asking if anyone had any 
insights why highly desired textbooks of some publishers are still 
not being made available online on the publishers' own platforms or 
through third party gateways. (The example I listed was an Elsevier 
textbook with a Saunders imprint). Faculty sometimes think it's a 
natural progression. Librarians have a gut feeling that it's related 
to business models and revenue for the publishers...Here are some 
responses that represent various sides of the spectrum.

Thanks to all of those who replied. It sounds as if we should all 
definitely keep talking to the publishers, at MLA annual conferences, 
in the exhibit halls, and elsewhere!

Ramune Kubilius
Collection Development / Special Projects Librarian
Galter Health Sciences Library
Northwestern University
+++

1) A PUBLISHER REP'S INPUT
"The business model issue, as you note, is the major barrier in going 
forward with textbooks.  Publishers are watching what each other are 
doing to see who will jump in first and what will happen after.  No 
one is really wanting to take those kind of risks yet.  In my very 
humble opinion I think it will happen and probably sooner than most 
of us believe but just not yet.  The market for e-books has shown us 
that there is demand for the product and this will eventually lead, 
again in my opinion, to the implementation of textbooks. I am 
forwarding your message to the product people for the e-books so they 
will know that there is truly demand in the market for them.  Thanks 
for taking the time to write to us... about it.  Please feel free to 
stop by and discuss further at MLA."

2) COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER COLLEAGUES' INPUT
a) "This issue is a major frustration for us, too.  I have been told 
point blank by a publisher rep that this is partly an issue with 
concern about loss of print sales revenue.  We have not pursued 
asking for permission to network CD-ROMs.  Our systems dept prefers 
not to go down that road because of various technical
concerns."

b) "The only thing I wouldn't recommend is implementing a technology 
that is driven by a specific resource. For example, if you don't serve other
CD-ROMSs with a Citrix server (something we haven't done for a number 
of years where I am) then why start? If this is still standard practice
where you are then I do think it's an option you could look at 
(although not an ideal one). I've shied away from e-textbooks as I 
don't see a lot of our nursing
students using them. This might be different in other healthcare 
disciplines though."

c) "Sorry - we haven't done anything like this.  We still have some 
print nursing textbooks on reserve.  I don't think we'd want to host 
CD-ROMs remotely - we would prefer to wait until the publishers get 
their acts together. We did just sign up for the Springer package, 
where we get nearly every Springer book published as an e-book."

3) A THIRD PARTY E-BOOK VENDOR REP'S PERSPECTIVE
"We do see hesitance on the part of some publishers to make their 
"textbooks" available electronically to institutions for fear of 
cannibalizing their individual textbooks sales.  This type of policy 
varies from publisher to publisher...It has been our experience to 
date that electronic availability does not negatively impact textbook 
sales.  The usability of a topic-driven database like (our's) 
diverges significantly from a traditional print textbook, creating 
two distinct user experiences. One corollary to the above is that in 
health sciences textbooks can be reference and vice versa, so this 
distinction is a bit more fluid in our subject areas that in other 
academic disciplines."