Why Purchase Print if the eBook is OA?: A Librarian’s Perspective

By Miranda Bennett (Director of Shared Collections, California Digital Library) ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6225-1046

From the perspective of an academic librarian working in collection development and management, the question of how open access eBooks relate to print books is an interesting one. Several issues are important to take into account, including potential markets for a print version of an OA eBook, interests and priorities of readers, and the investment of libraries, both individually and collectively, in long-term sustainability of key elements of the scholarly communication infrastructure.

Perhaps the first question that arises with regard to libraries and print versions of OA books is why a library would spend money on content that is freely available online. For most if not all libraries, competition for every collections dollar is serious, and librarians with collection development responsibilities must always consider trade-offs. There are, however, several potential reasons a library might deem acquisition of a print version of an OA book a good use of its resources.

First, having a print copy of a book that is also openly available in an electronic format offers an additional level of assurance that the content will be preserved over the long term. While paper is, of course, fragile and susceptible to a variety of threats, including fire and flood, its vulnerabilities are different from those of eBooks, which must be adapted to constantly changing digital technologies in order to remain accessible. A library with a commitment to preservation could justify purchasing print copies of OA eBooks as a way to build redundancy and resilience into a program of long-term preservation.

The preservation market for print versions of OA eBooks could be a meaningful source of publisher revenue, especially if libraries are able to act collectively to pursue the systematic acquisition of print. Established shared print programs may be excellent candidates for publishers seeking collaborative partners in this area.

Second, academic libraries may see acquisition of print versions of OA books as an investment in the stability of the scholarly record. Content captured in print is fixed in a way that electronic versions cannot offer. In some ways, this disadvantages print, since it is harder to, for instance, update information or correct errors, but a version that is difficult to change without obvious signs of alteration is vital to the ability of future scholars to interpret the past. The difficulty inherent in modifying print content also protects it against potentially nefarious modifications, and the existence of a stable version of record could be particularly important for OA books licensed with generous reuse rights.

Third, academic libraries might identify interests and priorities among their patrons that are better served by print than eBooks, even if those eBooks are openly available. For some readers, print remains a more ergonomically comfortable format for long-form reading, and the potential for distraction free engagement with a print text, as compared to an eBook that lives so close to other digital temptations, may be appealing as well. Additionally, students and scholars in some disciplines may prefer to view non-text content — illustrations, diagrams, graphs — in print, which may offer more faithful reproductions than screens. Even if they appreciate the affordances provided by an open access eBook, readers can gain different benefits from a print version, making acquisition by libraries a potentially worthwhile investment.

In addition to these generic reasons an academic library might purchase print versions of OA books, traditional collection development priorities could motivate a specific library to acquire print versions that meet defined selection criteria. For example, many libraries are eager to acquire books authored by faculty affiliated with their institution and would likely purchase print versions of open access books in this category. The print version would fulfill some of the needs described above, such as a complementary content preservation method and use cases an eBook cannot provide — including a proud author showing off a book on the shelf of their university library.

Academic libraries could also base the acquisition of print versions of OA eBooks on subject-based collecting priorities. If a library supports high-level research agendas in particular disciplines, for example, adding print versions of OA books in those areas might be justifiable, especially if researchers have demonstrated an interest in having access to print copies. A library’s commitment to preservation of content may also have a subject component, and it might seek to acquire print versions of OA books with a specific intention to retain them in conditions suitable for long-term preservation and access.

As vital parts of the scholarly communication ecosystem, both libraries and publishers rely on its overall health and seek to act in ways that support its thriving. The opening of scholarly monographs is a complex challenge that presents an opportunity for librarians and publishers to reflect on the enduring value of print books — a technology that has served our respective communities well for centuries — even when they offer the same content that is freely available online. Equipped with familiar skills from established collection development practices and understanding of the needs and interests of their readers and researchers, librarians can make informed, strategic choices about the acquisition of print versions of OA books and contribute to the sustainability of new business models from scholarly publishers.

A word about print versions of OA books and individual consumers: In addition to potential library markets for print versions of open access books, individual consumers or end-readers may also have an interest in purchasing print. The findings of the 2023 “Print Revenue and Open Access Monographs” study that was the basis of our 2023 Charleston Conference panel presentation included evidence that “almost all of the OA monographs we reviewed generated at least some revenue from print + eBook sales, and a healthy percentage — close to 30 percent — enjoyed sales of $10,000 or greater.” It is unlikely that all of this revenue derives from library sales, so individual readers may represent a meaningful market for print versions of OA books.

As noted above, some readers prefer the experience offered by a print book to reading on a screen, and in the case of a book in their personal library, they might particularly appreciate the ability to take notes in the margins or otherwise annotate their print copy (in a way they would never, of course, do in a library’s print book). Also, like a library that acquires print versions of OA books by affiliated authors, friends and family of an author might purchase print as a sign of appreciation and support. Well informed readers with a principled commitment to open access might even purchase (appropriately priced) print versions of OA books as a means to help underwrite the resources necessary to make the eBook version available to everyone.