Introduction of Digital Books into Public Libraries : Perspectives of Public Libraries and Publishers

Abstract

This research explores requirements for offering e-book services in Japanese public libraries by focusing on the relationship between public libraries and publishers. We identified situations, problems, and perspectives of both public libraries and publishers concerning e-book services by a series of studies using qualitative method of semi-structured interveiws, and quantitative survey method. Issues emerged from interveiws of public libraries and publishers were tested by survey for generalization. Findings indicate that there are considerable differences in genre, pricing strategy, and timing in providing e-book from publishers to public libraries. However, both public libraries and publishers want to offer e-book services with some restrictions in printing and downloading. Nevertheless, publishers need to develop an effective business model in order to continually offering e-books to public libraries. It was clearly demonstrated that both public libraries and publishers take a serious veiw in developing basic rules which are agreeable by both parties.