Business model trials for e-textbooks - eight leading textbook publishers participating

A range of business models for e-textbooks will be evaluated through four different trials at 13 higher education institutions. The trials will involve the participation of eight major textbook publishers and three e-book aggregators, and the overall objective is to identify realistic and sustainable business models.

The trials start this month and, in order to reflect the real live environment as far as possible, they will run until the end of the 2009/10 academic year.


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Developing sustainable business models for e-textbooks - contract awarded for new study

Establishing sustainable business models for online textbooks is an imperative for the UK academic community, as well as for publishers and aggregators. In view of this, JISC Collections has commissioned an important new study:
1. To explore the existing landscape in terms of the demand for and supply of e-textbooks, and the barriers to widespread provision.
2. To identify business models to trial involving a selected group of publishers, aggregators and higher education libraries.
3. To make recommendations about the most appropriate e-textbook business models in terms of overall sustainability, profitability and value for money.

Find out more about this study.

JISC Collections Workshop: Promoting and Embedding E-textbooks

This workshop will explore current promotional methods being utilised by librarians, publishers and aggregators to aid the embedding of monographs and e-textbooks into the learning environment of users.

It will provide an opportunity for librarians to discuss their role in promotion, to share ideas for future strategies and tools that harness Web 2.0 technologies and to identify the core issues that they would like publishers, aggregators and JISC Collections to tackle to ensure that monographs and e-textbooks are being fully embedding in their institutions.

A series of case studies will be presented in the morning, followed by break out sessions in the afternoon. This workshop will take place at the JISC Collections office in London on Friday 14th September 2007.

To book your place at this workshop, please complete the online registration form or contact Jane Anthony.

Further details can be found here.

JISC national e-books observatory project: useful articles and studies

Under the FAQ section of the national e-books observatory project web site you can now find a list of useful e-book articles and studies. It is not a list of everything written on e-books, but a selection of some articles and studies that are useful to know about in terms of the project. The pages will be updated and next to be added is information on international e-book project.

If you are aware of any writings on e-books or if your organisation is currently undertaking a project in e-books (especially if it is related to e-textbooks and core reading titles) please do contact Caren Milloy with further information.

http://www.jiscebooksproject.org/