E-books are becoming an increasingly important part of academic library collections. According to a 2011 report from the American Library Association, e-books currently represent 27% of holdings in academic libraries and the numbers have been steadily increasing for years. Despite this growing importance, providing catalogue access to e-books has always been a challenge for libraries. Traditional library catalogues are based on print collections and do not easily accommodate newer formats. Zhao and Zhao outline some of the inherent challenges that prevent, or at least complicate, the integration of e-books into a traditional catalogue. Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates discuss the frustrations that users experience when trying to discover e-books through an OPAC and conclude that academic libraries must provide alternative points of access outside of the traditional catalogue.
展开▼
