Students condemn removal of 1,300 eBooks from university libraries | The Irish Examiner

Students have condemned the removal of more than 1,300 eBooks from college libraries' collections before the beginning of the term.

As previously reported, the Library Association of Ireland (LAI) condemned the move which saw the eBooks pulled, many of which were recommended to students as key books on course reading lists.

Students now more than ever rely on eBooks to continue their education, according to Marta Ní Riada, education officer at UCD Students’ Union.

“As a result of the accommodation crisis, many students face long commutes and are unable to access print copies of core texts.

“In the interests of an equitable and accessible education system, we call on the government to address the licensing conditions at the core of this issue rather than simply increasing funding to these unsustainable publishing practices."

Demand for eBooks and e-audiobooks soared over the course of the pandemic. However, this has shone a light on longstanding problems with the market.

Since 2020, the LAI has been raising awareness about these problems as part of the international #ebookSOS campaign.

Impact on libraries

Dr Sandra Collins, university librarian at UCD, said the move severely impacted the work of academic libraries.

“It is a major setback for inclusive access and especially for people with reading difficulties for whom eBooks are critical.

“We urge people to actively support the #ebookSOS campaign for sustainable electronic content and eBook pricing."

A spokesman for Wiley said the publisher notified its library aggregator partner ProQuest in June 2020 that approximately 1,380 e-books would transition out of its digital library.

To allow time for the change, this transition took place at the end of August, he added.