Springer E-Book Trial Available

Ivy Anderson, Director of Collection Development & Management

Beginning immediately through December 31st 2008, a public trial of all English-language Springer electronic books is available to UC library users via the Springer Link website at http://springerlink.com/home/main.mpx.  The broad trial is being made available as part of an ebook pilot project undertaken on behalf of the UC systemwide Collection Development Committee (CDC).

As many of you know, CDC convened a task force last year under Jim Dooley’s (Merced) leadership to take a fresh look at the ebook market and develop principles and recommendations for systemwide investments in electronic book content.  The deliberations of that group (available at http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/cdc/taskforces/ebooks_final_report.pdf) resulted in a recommendation to pursue strategic opportunities to experiment with ebook licenses that meet UC’s desire for flexible business models and favorable licensing and use rights.  Following the task force’s work, CDC identified Springer as a publisher who met these criteria, and asked CDL to pursue an ebook pilot with Springer.  The pilot task force will study and make recommendations concerning which Springer ebooks to license and how they should be acquired and made available, in consultation with UC bibliographers, as well as technical and public service librarians.

A rectangular orange logo on the left-hand side of the Springer Link screen announces that the trial is being made available courtesy of the UC Libraries (note: Springer Protocols are not included in the trial).  UC librarians are invited to publicize the trial to their users, but should do so with the understanding that more focused selection decisions – for example, licensing specific Springer subject collections or series – will be made later this fall, with the intent to restrict access to only these licensed collections at the start of the 2009 calendar year.  A formal user assessment will be conducted later on as the pilot project unfolds.

Please feel free to send questions and comments about the pilot to the CDL Help Desk or to any member of the Springer Pilot task force:  Ivy Anderson and Emily Stambaugh (CDL), co-chairs, Janet Carter (Los Angeles), Jim Dooley (Merced), Martha Hruska (San Diego), Brian Quigley (Berkeley), Michelle Potter (Riverside), Keith Powell (Irvine), Lucia Snowhill (Santa Barbara), and Adolfo Tarango (San Diego).