Challenges in Sharing and Use of e-books in Academic Libraries

E-books are now an integral part of the collections in academic libraries. This paper explores
current restrictions on viewing, printing, downloading, circulation, and inter-library loan. It also covers
how these affect the lending of mobile devices and library e-readers. Restrictive licensing clauses,
proprietary software and file formats, digital rights management (DRM), and the single-user business model
many e-book publishers use are the most significant issues. In many academic libraries, the allocation of
funds for marketing has been overlooked. Many librarians have created promotional activities at minimal
cost to the library.