eBooks and Efficiencies in Acquisitions Expenditures and Workflows

Abstract

East Carolina University’s Joyner Library acquires ebooks through several different methods, including packages, firm orders, and most recently, a Demand-Driven Acquisition (DDA) program. Because we expect our volume of ebook business to increase substantially in the next few years, we are interested in evaluating efficiencies in our acquisitions expenditures on ebooks, and the workflows each purchase type requires. Currently, each acquisition method requires a different workflow, raising the question of whether any transformation in workflows might further streamline operations. In order to assess the efficiencies of acquisitions dollars expended, we compare use of our ebooks by acquisition method, and set those briefly against the use of firm order print titles. The big picture rendered by these comparisons will influence how we focus our purchasing in the future, and any changes will directly impact workflows to support these changes. To make comparisons of ebook use, we examine the percent of titles used and the intensity of use, measured as the total number of uses of the books divided by the total number of books in the group studied. Future directions for purchasing and potential impacts on staffing and workflows are briefly explored.