2015 Charleston Library Conference

Humanities researchers consider the library to be their laboratory, and its print collections their essential research equipment. In spite of anecdotal evidence that both students and faculty in the Humanities prefer print materials over e-books, academic libraries are allocating a steadily increasing proportion of their acquisitions budgets toward the purchase of e-books across all disciplines. Likewise, austerity measures have discouraged the practice of ‘duplicate titles’ in library collections.
At Western University in London, Ontario, Peggy Ellis and Fran Gray surveyed Arts & Humanities faculty members and graduate students to gain a better understanding of their attitudes toward e-books. Based on our findings, we are able to identify implications for collections development practice for librarians supporting research and teaching in the Arts and Humanities.