Abstract:
E-books are commonly perceived as offering great potential for learner support but also as
struggling to compete with print due to poor on-screen presentation, restrictive licencing and
limited range of titles offered. The experience of a group of Irish university libraries shows
that, with the right combination of product and subjects, e-books can thrive among students
and faculty, while librarians can create more dynamic, relevant and flexible collections than
for print. Subscription management is demanding for libraries, however, and licencing issues
remain highly problematic, representing a formidable obstacle to full exploitation.
