E‐books in an academic library: implementation at the ETH Library, Zurich

Abstract

Purpose

To provide some insight into the phenomenon of e‐books and their potential application in general, and to describe how the ETH‐Bibliothek, an academic library, has integrated web‐based e‐books into its collection.

Design/methodology/approach

The concept of e‐books was examined and the success (or failure) of their integration into library collections evaluated. How web‐based e‐books have been integrated into the ETH‐Bibliothek's collection was evaluated, as there were different formats and pricing models for e‐books. Other important issues relevant to e‐books were considered, such as usage statistics, how to discover new e‐books for integration into a collection, and whether web‐based e‐books are likely to be applied successfully in academic libraries.

Findings

The implementation of e‐books at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule) in Zurich is described, and information is provided on publishers or aggregators through which the ETH has subscribed to e‐books, different formats and pricing models for e‐books and usage statistics. How the number of e‐books to which an institution subscribes can be increased, is described, together with the benefits of e‐books in the academic environment, which will in all likelihood ensure the ongoing future of web‐based e‐books.

Originality/value

The paper provides introductory information on e‐books in general and on their suitability to an academic library in particular.

Citation

McLuckie, A. (2005), "E‐books in an academic library: implementation at the ETH Library, Zurich", The Electronic Library, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 92-102. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470510582772