E-Books at SLCC Libraries

BIG NEWS! 

Electronic books now far outnumber print books at SLCC Libraries. This reversal is part of a national trend in academic libraries: a shift from owning books to leasing them. The model is similar to what subscription services like Netflix, iTunes, and Amazon offer consumers. In this case, the library is the subscriber; it pays so SLCC students, faculty, and staff can have access to resources that aren’t freely available.

Finding E-books at SLCC

E-books can be searched right from the library’s main web page in the default “One Search” box.

E-books can be read on the Library’s web site or downloaded as PDF or HTML files for viewing on a home computer, e-reader, tablet, or smart phone. SLCC Library users are prompted to set up a username and password by EBSCO after selecting the download option, but the book rental is paid for by the college.

FAQ about E-Books

Question: Do e-books have a due date or expiration?

Yes. The checkout period is 7 days but renewals are unlimited.

Question: Is there a limit to how many e-books I can download?

For a small number of e-books EBSCO limits the number of simultaneous downloads, but most have unlimited downloads.

Question: Why do I have to create a username and password with EBSCO to download an e-book onto my device?

EBSCO monitors checkouts for e-books with download limitations and also collects statistics for marketing and business development

E-books: the good, the bad, and the…

Scholarly writers praise (see article here) e-books’ unlimited capacity to include commentary, video, art, interactive maps, and links to related content.

 Instant, on demand access anywhere with an internet connection

• Mobility and chiropractic value: one or dozens fit in your pocket
• Searchable using keywords
• Can be read in total darkness
• Can be backed up to prevent loss or damage
• Fonts can be enlarged or changed
• Text can be read aloud for those in need
• Non-text multimedia and widgets (image galleries, interactive models, data, video and audio files) can be embedded in the text
• Many available for free online
• Make it possible for authors to inexpensively publish and distribute their own work

Educators in the humanities have expressed concern (see article here) about the potential adverse effects of e-books on “deep reading” and critical reflection.

• Require a device, and therefore electricity, to be read
• Necesitate e-readers, which become electronic waste
• Difficult to share, i.e., transfer from one device to another, due to copyright restrictions
• More like rentals than actual purchases
• Cannot be resold
• Rarely owned and preserved by public institutions
• Privacy: usage may be monitored or tracked by providers
• Difficult to “mark up” with combination of graphical and textual notations
• Pages cannot be “felt” or “smelled”
• Do not increase in monetary value and are not collectible
• Do not beautify your home or office

If you have decided that e-books are for you and find yourself needing a bit of help, contact a reference librarian at 801-957-4610.