Springer Launches Print-on-Demand Service for Library Patrons
Following the completion of a pilot program, Springer Science+Business Media has extended its MyCopy e-book service to all academic libraries in the United States and Canada that have purchased Springer eBook Collections. All registered patrons of those libraries will be able to order soft-cover copies of Springer e-books for their personal use by clicking on a button on the Springer platform (http://www.springerlink.com). All books will be sold at the same price, $24.95, which includes shipping and handling within the United States and Canada.
The MyCopy offer is currently valid for more than 11,000 electronic Springer books published since 2005. The new soft-cover format is branded as a MyCopy book with a color cover and black-and-white book content. MyCopy books can only be ordered by registered patrons of those academic libraries that have purchased the corresponding Springer eBook Collection. The ordering and shipping process will be handled by Springer in cooperation with print-on-demand provider Lightning Source.
“We tested and evaluated market acceptance. The test phase was a complete success, as the libraries and their patrons confirmed,” says Dr. Olaf Ernst, president of eProduct management and innovation at Springer. “The order processing, rapid delivery and attractive price of the books convinced library users that this is a good deal. The logical decision for Springer was to offer MyCopy as an extended service for our library customers and their users. It makes the steadily growing e-book range even more attractive to the science and research market.”
Thirty selected libraries and other research institutions in the United States and Canada took part in the MyCopy pilot project, which launched in November 2008.
“This project represents a very innovative way in which to look at both publisher and library services for electronic content in the future, and MyCopy is a great value-add to our site license for these e-books,” says Wendy Allen Shelburne, electronic resources librarian at the library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Places:
- Canada
- United States