Lukemista aukioloajoista välittämättä - e-kirjat osana yleisten kirjastojen kokoelmia
Abstract
In the new millennium, e-books have made their way to libraries. In Finland, they have been available in a few academic and special libraries since the 1990s, but their journey to public libraries has been slower. In many other western countries, such as Australia, Canada and United States, public library e-book collections have become more commonplace. This study offers a peek to these places by reviewing how e-books are acquired and made available to users in public libraries around the world. The study also examines how library staff and library users have received e-books, Finally, conclusions are drawn about the future prospects of e-books in public libraries. The research material consists of 26 key articles focusing on the role of e-books in public libraries. The articles were published within the period of 2001-2014 in international forums, both professional and scientific. The research material was analysed by means of qualitative review analysis combined with meta-synthesis. The results indicate that in the English-speaking world, around 90% of public libraries offer e-books by 2014, the average collection size being about 10 000 titles. The response to digital collections has been generally positive, if not as widespread as librarians have hoped. But headway is being made, and it looks like e-books are in public libraries to stay.
