Ebook vs. Print Book – Is There a Difference?
Posted by: Sara Rofofsky Marcus
While sitting at the Reference Desk, it is not uncommon to have a patron insist on a printed book, because their assignment calls for at least one book as a source. When asked about the possibility of an ebook the patron is more apt to refuse than agree, simply because it is not what the instructor asked for. The question arises, how do we educate the faculty AND students about the equivalency of ebooks and print books? Not all ebooks are equal, but neither are all print books. With the growth in eReaders, such as Kindle, Nook, and Sony eReader, this issue will only grow. Libraries subscribe to ecollections, such as Gale Virtual Reference Library, NetLibrary, Books24/7, and more – these are the same titles one traditionally obtained in print for only one user to access at a time. Now with the ebooks multiple users can access the item, shelf space is saved, and reshelving is not an issue. EBooks will not replace all print books, there is something to be said for curling up with a novel in bed, but the technology is changing and the assignments, and ways librarians introduce the resources, need to change.
Perhaps instead of calling it a database, which is traditionally considered for articles, we can come up with a new name? Or is patron education the key here? What do you think?
