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.
