[15634] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: eLibraries question
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Michael Hart)
Tue Jan 4 20:14:13 2005
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 08:28:18 -0800
From: Michael Hart <hart@PGLAF.ORG>
In-reply-to: <5.2.0.9.2.20050104102103.01a1fcd8@mail.mville.edu>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: "Michael S. Hart" <hart@pobox.com>
Message-id: <Pine.LNX.4.60.0501040804540.24143@pglaf.org>
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Cross posting to other sites that got the same message you replied to:
On Tue, 4 Jan 2005, Jeff Rosedale wrote:
> Michael-- I saw your Project Googleberg message posted to PACS-L, that
> included a list of questions. One additional question that might be
> included:
>
> What do library users need from electronic books?
>
> I work at a small liberal arts college library. We have enthusiastically
> embraced all manners of digital information and provide our community 24x7
> access to enormous amounts of valuable scholarly materials. But many readers
> still don't like using electronic books.
>
> While publishers, technology entrepreneurs and information professionals are
> solely fixated on expanding access, I am concerned that the end-user
> experience is being ignored at their collective peril.
> How can we address this as librarians?
>
> Thanks for your posting...
>
> --Jeff
You are most welcome.
The wants and needs of eLibrary users have been topics of discussion
all along, and the various suggestions, sometimes demands, have been
widely varied, but the truth is that the coming generations will see
things through quite different eyes than our own.
For example, most of the eBook providers are very much hung up on an
assortment of requirements that don't really fit any hardward we can
currently get on the market at reasonable prices: eBook readers.
The discussions about this are interminable, with the only agreement
being that no one wants to give them what they want at a price which
they find reasonable. . .other than the richest, of course.
Meanwhile, back in the land of reality, it turns out that eBooks are
being sold at ever increasing numbers to people who read them on PDA
screens and even cell phone screens. . .in total contradiction to an
entire world full of pundits who have been saying we need screens of
the same size as paperbacks.
Why?
Because these pieces of harware are THERE. . .in reality.
As I understand it, about a BILLION new cell phones have gone into a
world already pretty saturated with them in the last 18 months. . .!
That's a LOT of new cell phones, not to mention those kept by people
who don't have to have the latest and greatest.
People used to text messaging, emailing, etc., from cell phones were
just one step away from reading eBooks. . .and took that step. . .no
matter what the pundits said about it.
So my answer is, as always, that people will use what is available--
rather than go out and use something specifically tailored to eBooks
and to eBook readers.
Therefore, one of the biggest aids to people reading eBooks are some
programs that set up eBooks so they fit nicely on PDA or cell screen
sizes, or any other sizes people might choose.
Thus eBooks that are over-formatted will not get read to the degrees
that people will read eBooks that have enough flexibility to be read
on iPods, PDAs, cell phones, PPCs, etc.
Thanks!!!
So Nice To Hear From You!
Happy New Year!!!
Michael
Give FreeBooks!!!
In 39 Languages!!!
As of January 04, 2004
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~ 60 to go to 15,000
http://www.gutenberg.org
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Michael S. Hart
<hart@pobox.com>
Project Gutenberg
Executive Coordinator^M
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