”We want more!” Why can’t all library books be e-books?

Demand that exceeds supply is in a sense a positive problem from the point of view of the library. Our collections cater well to the needs of our customers. But even with a setlist like this, the needs of all are not perfectly met.

The thought of e-licenses that are all in use does not appeal to you, an individual student. Your exam or assignment deadline is fast approaching and you need the book right now. To make matters worse, all the printed books are on loan as well and the reservation list is long. You say hello to your fellow students who gather around you in front of the festival stage to wait for an encore. Your collective wish echoes far: “We want more! More textbooks, both printed and electronic!”

The library hears you. The wish is familiar from semesters past.

“You make me live, you’re my best friend”

Some of the most popular textbooks at the moment at JAMK Library are:

Purchasing and supply chain management
Tourism Principles and Practice
Introduction to Sport Marketing
Occupation-centred Practice with Children
Neuropsychology for Occupational Therapists
Oats : chemistry and technology
Strategic Brand Management
Research methods for business students
Play as therapy 

“Give me more, give me more”

Did you know that JAMK has 8000 students who arealtogether offered hundreds of courses during one semester? JAMK Library acquires textbooks for all of the courses, according to the course material information provided by the teachers.

Because the library has to think of the needs of everyone at JAMK, we can buy only a limited amount of textbooks. Moderate reservation lists must, therefore, be endured. We assess reservation lists and usage statistics, however, all year long and buy extra licenses or copies of books when usage is especially heavy.

“You say potato and I say potahto”

“Wait a minute,” you might think aloud at this point. “Can’t you just buy an e-book of every textbook? That way everyone gets to read them? Problem solved?!”

Sadly, no. Of some textbooks we have been able to buy e-book licenses that are unlimited: all of JAMK students and staff could use them at the same time, 24/7 & 4ever. In most cases, however, this is not possible.

The library has to find answers to the following questions before buying an e-book:

1. Has the book been published as an e-book? It’s not unusual at all if it has not.
2. Is it possible to buy the e-book with a license that gives permission to library distribution? The publisher may have decided to sell the e-book only to private customers.
3. What kind of user-specific e-book licenses are available for purchase? Most times e-books are sold only with a license that permits use by one person. If we, therefore, want that 10 people at a time are able to read the e-book, the library has to buy 10 separate 1-user e-book licenses. We always buy an unlimited license if it is available and at a reasonable price.
4. What do the e-book user licenses cost? Do the licenses have to be bought anew every year? The library has a yearly acquisitions budget and we have to pay attention to the pricing as well. The broader the license, the higher the price. Some e-books really have to be bought again every year, so the usage time of a license may be only a year at a time.

“Ground Control to Major Tom”

Because many study remotely, we for that reason also are happy to acquire e-books. According to the Janet database JAMK Library has at the moment well over 200 000 e-books, whereas printed books there are approximately 30 000.

We do our best at the library that as many textbooks as possible are also available as e-books. We regularly inform those who select textbooks, that is to say teachers, of the twists and turns of e-book licenses. We are also happy to help well in advance before the beginning of courses in the selection of textbooks of which it is possible to buy e-book licenses for as big a group of people as possible – including you.