Purchasing E‐Books from Life and Physical Science Society Publishers: Trends and Considerations

This study evaluates e‐book publishing by professional life and physical science societies. In order to be good stewards of their resources, collection managers should always be aware of digital rights management (DRM) restrictions and access issues when contemplating an e‐book purchase. This can be difficult due to the wide variety of publishing models employed by society e‐book publishers. In this study the authors examine various life and physical science societies that publish e‐books, including factors such as DRM and access conditions, and purchasing options. The results provide information for collection managers to consider when purchasing e‐books from society publishers, as well as allows them to advise patrons when access to ebooks may be limited to society members.