Foley, C. (2012). eBooks for leisure and learning. Scan, 31(4), 6-14.

What follows are notes on the selection and management issues around e-books as outlined by Foley’s work.

• “access to, and reading of, ebooks was most prolific where there were planned, explicit learning activities. […] The targeted classes engaged in scaffolded learning activities were the highest users of the ebooks resources” (page 8). This suggests that students need to be provided with opportunities for ebook selection and access, and that organic access is minimal/limited in comparison.
• budget must be considered in the selection of e-book providers. For smaller libraries, this additional cost may not be feasible.
• contracts can have hidden costs
• devices for use and access may need to be purchased, such as ereaders. These will need to be managed individually.
• freely available e-books need to be added manually, and regularly checked to ensure users can still access the site/resource.