{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]],"date-time":"2026-03-06T13:15:36Z","timestamp":1772802936469,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2010,7,27]],"date-time":"2010-07-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1280188800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,7,27]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings from the qualitative strand of the National e\u2010Book Observatory (2007\u20102009) project, relating to the promotion of e\u2010textbooks in UK universities by the library, academics and publishers. A complementary paper on the ways in which students and academics locate e\u2010books provided by their library will appear in a future issue.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>Following the provision by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) in the UK of collections of e\u2010textbooks, the project used deep log analysis, benchmark surveys and focus groups to develop a rich picture of library e\u2010collection management and use by students and academics. Focus groups were undertaken with library staff, academics and students; the dialogues were transcribed and analysed using NVivo7 software.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The qualitative studies found that libraries were using a range of promotional tools, although these were not always finding their targets. Often libraries had no formal promotion strategy for e\u2010resources. Although little in evidence, the value of academic commitment and promotion was emphasised. Promotion by publishers and aggregators is both to libraries and directly to academic staff. Students felt that they were largely unaware of promotion beyond the presence of e\u2010books in the catalogue, and in some cases stated explicitly that they thought more should be done to promote library e\u2010resources to them.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper offers pragmatic guidance on promotional methodologies.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The project describes the first major, national usage study of e\u2010books in higher education. The paper contributes significantly to the literature in discussing the importance of promoting e\u2010books to students and staff.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/00330331011064212","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2010,7,17]],"date-time":"2010-07-17T07:06:18Z","timestamp":1279350378000},"page":"185-206","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Promoting your e\u2010books: lessons from the UK JISC National e\u2010Book Observatory"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"44","author":[{"given":"Ray","family":"Lonsdale","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chris","family":"Armstrong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022031220352404700_b1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Abdullah, N. and Gibb, F. (2008), \u201cStudents' reactions towards e\u2010books in a university library collection\u201d, The International Journal of the Book, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 107\u201012.","DOI":"10.18848\/1447-9516\/CGP\/v05i01\/36678"},{"key":"key2022031220352404700_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Appleton, L. (2005), \u201cUsing electronic textbooks: promoting, placing and embedding\u201d, The Electronic Library, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 54\u201063.","DOI":"10.1108\/02640470510582736"},{"key":"key2022031220352404700_b3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Armstrong, C. and Lonsdale, R. (2005), \u201cChallenges in managing e\u2010books collections in UK academic libraries\u201d, Library Cataloguing, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 33\u201050.","DOI":"10.1080\/14649055.2005.10766031"},{"key":"key2022031220352404700_b4","unstructured":"Armstrong, C. and Lonsdale, R. 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