AALL Seattle, CRIV Vendor Roundtable, 7/15/2013, 11:45-12:45

Lexis eBooks can be accessed directly via each library’s ILS rather than requiring end users to log onto or to download some additional proprietary platform. Thompson Reuters has a different philosophy.  They believe that in order to achieve full multimedia capabilities for West eBooks, a full-function proprietary application is required.  However, many of the librarians in the room feel that eBooks should not be tied up in proprietary platforms.  For these librarians, accessibility and ease of use trumps user experience.

Ed Walters of Fastcase asks, “Do users actually prefer apps to eBooks?”  Various vendor reps suggest that we should not be too wrapped up with any particular label.  Web site, eBook, database, all of these will converge.