2013 Charleston Conference

Directly or through consortia, libraries receive offers from publishers to provide more content via e-book packages than we could purchase on a title-by-title basis. McMaster University, a mid-sized ARL, has embraced this direction, subscribing to or purchasing a number of publisher collections – an enthusiasm not always shared by our users. To explore whether we are serving the needs of our advanced researchers – those who need to engage closely with texts – we invited all faculty, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates to complete a short, 7-question survey identifying their format preferences and use of e-books. By April 2013, we had received over 1100 responses, including submissions from one third of our faculty. This Lively Lunch provides a current snapshot of issues surrounding the use and acceptance of e-books across the disciplines, and invites participants to share strategies around format choice, duplication of print and e- , and support for researchers.