Exploring E-book Usage Among Faculty and Graduate Students in the Geosciences: Results of a Small Survey and Focus Group Approach

Faculty and graduate students in the geosciences at the University of Oklahoma were surveyed online about their familiarity with and usage of electronic resources, then observed using e-books via different provider platforms on a computer. E-books from ebrary, Elsevier, Knovel, and Springer platforms were discussed and evaluated by the participants in the study. From the survey and user observation, unique features of geoscience scholarly research are identified that have implications for e-book publishers who wish to make the e-book format viable for the discipline. The educational implications of e-books for libraries are also addressed.