Sue Polanka brings together a variety of professionals to share their expertise about e-books with librarians and publishers. Providing forward-thinking ideas while remaining grounded in practical information that can be implemented in all kinds of libraries, the topics explored include an introduction to e-books and their different types, an overview of their history and development, e-book technology, why e-books are good for learning, and how librarians can market them to a wide range of users.--[back cover]

Contributors from across the breadth of the e-book world offer their perspectives on what s happening now and what to expect in the coming months and years.

Library Technology Reports vol. 47 no.8 According to recent studies, e-book penetration in libraries of all types is rising rapidly. Creating or expanding an e-book collection is a complicated challenge. In addition to facing the same challenges a librarian would face in developing a print collection, librarians developing an e-book collection also face a host of unprecendented legal, technological, and vendor challenges. This issue of Library Technology Reports will examine these challenges, focusing on strategies for purchasing e-books in a consortium, working with vendors, implementing e-reader programs in an academic environment, and purchasing electronic textbooks. Although the challenges are significant, this issue will show how they can be overcome and how the effort it takes to develop an e-book collection is well worth the effort.