A Cost-Effectiveness Study of Electronic Book Usage in University Libraries

With growing user demands and tightening budgets, many university libraries are opting to join consortia to purchase and share electronic books. Through cooperative acquisitions, libraries may reduce the cost of electronic books and at the same time provide users with access to wider resources. Bearing in mind the perspectives of "every book its reader" and "every reader his book," however, decisions on whether to acquire electronic books should not be based on cost only. Use of electronic books and cost effectiveness for libraries should be taken into consideration. This study first compared the cost effectiveness of paper and electronic book usages in a university library. It then used the LibQUAL+(superscript TM) measures and web usability criteria to evaluate user satisfaction and usefulness of that library's electronicbook services. Findings of this study may offer useful insights for managing electronic-book services in university libraries.