Ebooks and Cloud Computing in the School Library

Technology and its specific applications in library work are not my skills of expertise. But, I sure know how to work and coordinate a project with people. So, when our library information systems needed an upgrade, I called on Romy Sebastian to help us again.

Romy Sebastian has a history with the Beacon Academy Library. He has seen us through three systems upgrades. From LIBRO to PLATONICXZ to MyRIZAL, Romy has stayed on course assisting us with the utmost understanding of a librarian who knows his technology. Now, we are considering the cloud version of the system but first things first: migration of our Online Public Access Catalog to a new web host.

L-R: Josef Halos of EBSCO, me and Romy Sebastian

I am excited at this migration project since my staff and I will be given a control of the administration panel 24/7, web page design and real time updating of the database. I promise to post in the blog our progress.

On the same day Romy was in school, Josef Halos of EBSCO came by as well. His purpose was to teach us how to access and use the ebook functionality of EBSCO. We have been dilly-dallying on this, because honestly, the package is pretty expensive. Josef Halos gave us a month of trial for the ebooks but I know, it will take me another month more to do the budgeting. 

Needless to say, a librarian’s work is not done in isolation (similar to writing a story and creating a book). Much has been said and written about the library being the heart of the school or the institution. These days, it has become the lifeblood of an organization. 

Curating SLIA Blog Posts: On Library Collection Development

What I have written so far about library collection development. Because, it's National Book Week and National Reading Month. Because, I get asked and consulted by peers and LIS students. Because, this part of what I do as a librarian.

Ins and Outs of Collection Development  (2010)

Ebook Collection Development 2012

Ebook Collection Development for School Libraries 2012

PPT on School Library Development 2012 - Throwback post for 2016

Developing Digital Collections 2011 - Insights on the topic as gleaned from a seminar I attended in Adamson Univeristy in 2011

Building a Picture Book Collection in a High School Library - Because Picture Books Are For Everyone!

Building a Graphic Novel Collection in the School Library - Because Graphic Novels Is Literature.

Striking the Balance on Collection Development - An AVR I produced for the PNULISSAA Annual Conference last May 2016.

Striking the Balance: The Changing Landscape of Collection Development

Filipino Friday (4): This is Still Reading Right?

This Filipino Friday, the questions that must be answered are:

Do you read (or have at least tried to read) books in other formats aside from print? How was your experience with these different book formats?

Yes, I do read books in electronic format. In fact, my decision to buy an iPhone was prompted by reading on mobility. I just have to read to while away the time at the doctor's clinic; in the FX terminal; in long lines at the grocery store; or when I'm stuck in traffic going to work and back home. I find these gaps as precious reading time. Books come in handy, but, the iPhone is, handier.

In the library where I work, I have set up an e-reader and e-book collection. We have four Kindles for circulation. Each Kindle  has an assigned Dewey Decimal Classification group or division. 800 (Literature) and 900 (History) are both grouped with Fiction. I like the ease of book acquisition in a Kindle. Amazon sure knows what good service is all about. It even has a way of knowing what I order so it recommends titles very so often. I spend time, a lot of time, analyzing the content of Amazon's recommendations. So this means, I read a lot online too! I check reviews of recommended e-books not only in Amazon but also in blogs of book reviewers. With my knowledge of the library's readers' profile, preference and the school's curriculum, I decide which ones to buy. The budget for e-books has been prepared over the summer.

So, if you think librarians simply sit behind the desk all day, think again. There's a lot of cognitive activity going on behind a librarian's desk. I hope to set up a digital library collection soon but studying on a suitable app is an investment on time and money.

This year, I've read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, The Magicians, Peaches for Father Francis, Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, The Fault in Our Stars and a host of paranormal, erotic romance on my iPhone's and Mac's Kindle. Nothing changed for me, as far as the reading experience is concerned, except that, the sensory experience of smelling paper and feeling its texture was diminished. For deep reading that require analysis and synthesis, like non-fiction reads I do for my paper presentations, I still go for the printed format. I need to take notes, physically and manually to remember important sentences, phrases and paragraphs. Such writing from these non-fiction reads I go back to when I prepare my citations and when I actually compose a conference paper or an academic article.

I think what the digital age require of us, readers and book lovers all, is the knowledge of how to read and why we read. Purpose and function. Reading from a variety of formats can be taught and  learned but the reason for reading and the application of reading in real life is a wisdom that grows and develop over time.

Ebook Collection Development for School Libraries

Before jumping on the ebook bandwagon, think things over and draft a strategy for developing an ebook collection for your school library. I am sharing what I've whipped up for starting out an ebook collection in the library.

Why an ebook collection?
1. Experiment on a new business model in acquiring digital content for the library that adheres to a required budget allocation.
2. Offer new services to a market that is young, fickle, media induced and tech savvy.
3. Expand the library’s collection, thereby, addressing the clamor on information access for all and at all times (as possible).

What to consider?
1. License agreement containing terms and agreement, restrictions and scope of access.
2. Business model may be by lease or perpetual access.
3. Fees/budget may vary according to choice of business models: one book/one user, subscription, multi-user, simultaneous unlimited use, print on demand, pay per use.
4. Purchase by consortia. Plus: increase buying power. Minus: libraries have different needs
5. Evaluate vendors and analyze cost, especially among and between vendors

Ebook vendors / Third party solution:

FolletShelf  - http://www.aboutfollettebooks.com/follettshelf.cfm
EBSCO - http://www.ebscohost.com/ebooks/schools
OverDrive - http://www.overdrive.com/Solutions/Schools/K12/SDL/
Project Muse - http://muse.jhu.edu/#3

* FolletShelf and EBSCO can provide demos. With the changing landscape in epublishing and new business models that publishers implement, it is good to request for demos as needed. Schedules of demo are indicated in the websites.

* Project Muse orders on ebooks can be made but, license agreement must be checked and referred to for further study and evaluation.

* Tech requirements for ebook access via ereaders ℅ Tech Dept. and Finance (purchase and insurance matters).

* Ereaders (Kindle/iPad) can be used as storage devices for ebooks. Allot one ereader for a collection: References, General Collection, Fiction and Teachers Resources

* Explore other means of developing a digital collection: file server where pdfs can be saved, organized and retrieved / Google Docs as database for pdfs / collection of web resources.

* Draft a set of rules and guidelines for ereaders use / ebook selection and purchase must be reflected in the collection development program and policy.