Against The Grain - The Podcast

The Evolution of E-Books As we all know, the advent of the ebook have had a profound impact on libraries. What started as very tentative steps with NetLibrary at the turn of the millennium – this seems like a lifetime ago! - has rapidly evolved with the integration of digital content and services in libraries. The evolution from print to online has been a rocky and complicated journey, unlike the relatively smooth transition from print to online format for journals. Much has been written and said about the challenges and opportunities resulting from the ebook. Major challenges include ownership, preservation, discovery, accessibility, licensing and acquisition models, and usability. It's time to take a step back and look at the remarkable evolution of the ebook – where have we come from, where are we today, and most importantly, where do we want the adoption or integration of ebooks to lead us? What does this mean for the iconic role of the monograph in libraries and in particular for the success of our stude