| 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. |