ebrary Launching into Public Library Market with New Collection
Josh Hadro -- Library Journal, 05/24/2010
- 20,000 titles to start, including 4200 in Spanish
- Focus on non-fiction for information seekers
- High schools get free access through public libraries
ebrary has announced plans to expand into the public library market with its Public Library Complete (PLC) pilot program.
“Libraries provide free access to both the computers and the content—what we’re trying to do is make [the latter] more cost-effective for libraries,” Christopher Warnock, ebrary CEO, told LJ. While ebrary is using the same platform, there's little overlap with the academic ebook collection, officials said.
PLC will feature some 20,000 mostly nonfiction ebooks available via a multiuser subscription package. Topic areas include those expected to be in high demand in public libraries, such as career development, business and economics, computers, and health and fitness, among others.
Warnock also highlighted a subcollection of 4200 Spanish-language ebooks unique to the public library collection. English-language titles come from publishers including Random House, Penguin, McGraw-Hill, and Taylor & Francis (see the selection available at site.ebrary.com/lib/publiclibrarytitles). Libraries can also add one-time purchases of additional titles.
PLC is expected to increase titles by ten percent annually, according to the company; pricing will be based on population served.
Online access vs. download
Warnock says a multiuser subscription platform like PLC complements single-download offerings from vendors like OverDrive.
While downloads offer users portability, Warnock said the PLC collection is geared toward the “information-seeking patrons.” There are no checkouts of PLC ebooks, and multiple users can access the research materials simultaneously. Users can also print certain sections or page ranges, depending on terms dictated by the publishers.
Offline access remains a barrier for some. But as wireless and cell coverage become more ubiquitous and an increasing number of devices feature full-rendering Internet browsers, the bar has lowered somewhat. As Warnock indicated, the platform is fully functional on a number of devices including the iPhone and the iPad.
School library bonus
To highlight the utility of the PLC items to students, ebrary is also offering free access through the subscribing public library to public high school libraries in the same community.
Likewise, as an added feature, libraries subscribing to PLC will also have access to DASH, ebrary’s recently announced PDF self-publishing platform. Via DASH, libraries can upload PDF documents such as tax forms, applications, government documents, and special collections, ando have them indexed and searchable along with the other materialss available via the ebrary platform.
Finally, the company is offering online training and a number of complementary marketing services.
PLC will be on display at the American Library Association annual conference in Washington, DC, June 25 to 29.
