At BYU, Kindle Program on Hold, But University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Program Going Strong
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 6/17/2009
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- BYU lacks written consent
- UNO didn't seek such consent
- Bestsellers circulate well at UNO
- Librarian says program helps sell Kindles
Amazon’s official stance is that lending Kindles is a violation of its terms of service, but several libraries have done so without penalty, and BYU’s Gerrit van Dyk received verbal permission from an Amazon rep. Meanwhile, the Criss Library of the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) has been lending Kindles without incident since March 2008, and it has no plan to pull back.
UNO's Kindle plan
“We do not see a violation of the terms of service agreement,” Joyce Neujahr, director of patron services, told LJ, after discussing the issue with library dean Stephen Shorb, who initially proposed that the library lend the device. “We have purchased the content on the Kindle, and loan the Kindle just like we loan a hardcover, print book. The difference is where that purchased book resides. Whether it is on a shelf, or on a Kindle, we have still purchased the title.”
Neujahr noted that, unlike BYU, UNO is using its nine Kindles to circulate requested best-sellers, not for ILL, and to the UNO community at large. Moreover, UNO is taking a conservative approach and not adding each title to several devices, though Amazon allows a book to be placed on multiple devices. She said UNO had not sought approval from Amazon but had consulted law professors, who agreed that the terms of use seem to bar only profit-seeking efforts to distribute the digital content to a third party.
Circulating best-sellers
UNO initially wanted to use the devices for ILL, but found the scholarly title selection was slim. Instead, the university started allowing library users to request popular titles (one per person) and see them arrive wirelessly and nearly instantaneously.
The nine Kindles, eight of them the initial model and one a Kindle 2, are cataloged as devices; within the MARC record, the various titles are listed. UNO has been able to buy about a dozen titles per device, spending nearly $1800 on books.
The nine Kindles have circulated some 220 times, for two weeks each. They’re nearly always on hold. Those checking out the Kindles must agree to pay if the device is damaged or lost. The Kindles are placed in camera bags for protection and security.
“If Amazon ever called me, I’d tell them we’re good marketing for them,” Neujahr observed, citing the many people who tried a library Kindle and then bought a version for themselves. (She’s among them.)
Going forward
Given current budget constraints, UNO does not plan to buy new content for the Kindles. However, the Kindle will eventually support more publishing formats, according to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Neujahr said UNO might lend out Kindles for people to buy their own content, accessing it temporarily via the device. She likened that to the library’s practice of lending out digital cameras and camcorders for personal use.
Neujahr still thinks that, as title selection improves, the Kindle can be useful for ILL, given that it cuts turnaround time. In fact, at the Library Technology Conference 2009 at Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, her presentation raised this question: “Is it the Future of Interlibrary Loan?”
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