Library eBooks: Some Can't Find Them, Others Find Them and Don't Know What They Are

Abstract

When discussing eBooks, people generally fall into two camps: they either don't know what eBooks are or know what they are but cannot find them at their local library. Libraries are beginning to successfully address the gap between patron awareness of electronic books in general and a library's holdings and circulation options. EBooks are a relatively new format, and many rights and business model issues between authors, publishers and distributors remain unresolved. EBook readers to a large degree receive more media attention than eBooks themselves. More and more people are looking to libraries to fill their eBook needs. OverDrive (http://overdrive.com) offers libraries eBooks with true to expectations portability. Libraries are beginning to successfully market their eBook collections and make discovery easier.