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To e or not to e, or prefer POD?: The Collection Development Dilemma of Mexican Libraries
By Mauricio Morlett, Collection Development Manager, Latin America
Translated by Larry Bennett, Vice President of Digital Print Media, Baker & Taylor Digital Media Services
The facts are quite verifiable in both private and public universities, and it is in the latter where we find the largest deficit of required and alternative academic materials.
While the publishing world evolves at the speed of our planet, and the scope of needs of our libraries continues the transformation toward more electronic materials, we face the challenge of increasing our eCollections (with all the technological and practical implications that such a change implies) while under the yoke of budgets that are insufficient or that are geared towards printed materials, the traditional model of education in Mexico.
To describe the current circumstances of our libraries, recently collected data can guide us, such as:
• Nonexistent or very limited connection between real academic needs and libraries’ acquisitions.
• Incomplete collections in subjects and areas of study.
• Inadequate or non-existent replacement of required titles.
• Very limited selection of eBooks that can be included in library collections, and even less that can be used by teachers and students.
• Widespread lags in the creation of high quality cataloguing records, as well as very long delays between the date of purchase and the availability of the titles on the shelves.
• Little attention to new eTechnologies, including POD (print on demand).
• Inability to complement specific collections or reorient toward other collections because of changes in acquisition budgets.
On these points, we Mexicans find ourselves sick and tired of being immersed in the dichotomy of to be or not to be, and it is here where we see the stark alternatives presented in this article: should we really work hard to establish a direct and sustainable connection between electronic literature (eBooks) while continuing to welcome printed books? Or should we seek publishing alternatives that correct our budget gap and guarantee the adequate acquisition of the titles that we need?
It is important to highlight the difference in the acquisition of titles in Spanish and English, where generally we find a ratio of 4 to 1 (or, in the most optimistic cases, 3 to 1) when talking about the purchase of printed books.
In addition, an important difference that we found is the availability of eBooks in English, which are available for virtually 100% of new releases compared to a relatively low percentage for new releases in Spanish, which by the most optimistic estimates might reach slightly under 10% throughout Latin America.
Although the subject of eBook availability in Spanish would be a motive for this article, it is worthwhile to observe the contrast between the two publishing industries - the North American one (traditional supplier of the Iberian Peninsula) that vigorously promotes electronic publications, and the traditionalist bent that results in the insufficiency of (and probably also the nervousness present among) Spanish language publishers.
But, returning to the world of libraries in Mexico, who has not thought about some or all of the following questions:
• How do eBooks work?
• What should I do and what hardware should I have to be able to acquire them?
• Why am I required to provide so much information to set up an account for eBooks?
• How can I know if the books will maintain their original format to be able to be read over time without having to make costly investments in software upgrades?
Thus, until circumstances themselves and new generations of academics force them to take the steps necessary to acquire the electronic materials they need, Mexican libraries are faced with the dilemma of taking small steps to enter the electronic world, convinced that this is the best option (or perhaps the least avoidable), but with the consequent risk of a further lag in the acquisition of electronic literature (eBooks).
Fortunately, not everything is as dark as it seems. It is clear that one of the most viable options in the short term, not just for books already published but for new releases, will be print on demand (POD).
Certainly we will continue to experience a lag due to limits on the acquisition of new releases that are published throughout the world outside of Mexico. But at the same time we can take advantage of the alternative of ordering books printed on demand (POD) as we move into the world of new technologies.
Nevertheless, the most important question for the development of library collections in Mexico will be: will we reach a balance between our print and electronic acquisitions? And will it be the students themselves who force us, through the use of computers and devices for reading eBooks, to ultimately decide what kind of books should be acquired for private and public universities?
As librarians and those responsible for library budgets focus all of their attention on the new challenges they face in the balanced development of their library collections, and work hard to implement the steps necessary for the incorporation of electronic materials in their libraries, we still will not be assured of having successfully entered into the world of technology and eBooks.
Meanwhile, we should make an effort to take advantage of the availability of print on demand (POD) to ensure that we don’t miss out on acquiring titles that are essential and to avoid unfortunate voids in our collections.
Finally, the exploration not only of the available titles but also of the reliability of the suppliers of the new technologies will be two critical factors when it comes time to decide which of the available options we are going to take.
What is certain is that the Mexican library establishment is not the same as it was, and the change is so important and radical that we should enthusiastically embrace (and take maximum advantage of) not just the new technologies but also of what our neighbors to the north are putting in place, and not just to benefit libraries, but for the good of the environment to boot. |
