Home Official News Releases Cowles Library gains access to 25,000 e-books as part of new program

Cowles Library gains access to 25,000 e-books as part of new program

CONTACT: Tory Olson, 515-271-1834, tory.olson@drake.edu

Faculty, staff and students at Drake University now have access to 25,000 e-books, thanks to Cowles Library’s partnership with Ebook Library Corp. (EBL)

The initiative aims to build the library’s collection of e-books available through the online catalog. It will give users access books by leading academic and professional publishers. The titles offered are geared toward Drake’s academic programs and curriculum. 

Drake is one of the first universities in the Midwest and the nation to implement a Demand Driven Acquisitions-pilot model. 

The new model allows Cowles Library to make un-owned titles visible to library catalog users. The library will be charged a pay-per-use fee, and on the fourth use, the library will purchase the item.

“We view the EBL model as an exciting new service to the students, faculty and staff at Drake University,” said Cowles Library Dean Rod Henshaw.  

“While we have provided access to e-books for more than a decade, providing ‘on-demand’ access to many thousands more titles is a significant development in our collection model. After all, today’s scholars expect ‘on-demand’ services in other parts of their lives; why should electronic texts be any different?”

Cowles Library has a long history of technological innovation to support user services, from an initial Library Web site launch in 1994 to the current Web function and tools.

“EBL’s user-driven model is an important addition to this rich tradition of service-driven progress at Cowles Library,” Henshaw added.

“We are delighted to see our model being adopted in the Midwest by such innovative institutions as Cowles Library,” said Kari Paulson, president of EBL. 

“Especially in times of economic restraint, this model provides a very efficient and cost-effective way for libraries to open access to a great range of content to students while ensuring funds are allocated to resources that are truly needed.”

For more information, contact Teri Koch at teri.koch@drake.edu or 515-271-2941 or Bruce Gilbert at bruce.gilbert@drake.edu or 515-271-4821.