1. IN FOR e-BOOKS IN THE PORTUGUESE PUBLIC LIBRARIES NETWORK
NAPLE Assembly 2013
Good afternoon to everyone,
The title of my first slide summarizes the portuguese situation about e-books in public libraries – they simply do not exist
Margarida Oleiro

2. THE PORTUGUESE PUBLIC LIBRARIES NETWORK (RNBP)
Portugal
308 local councils
RNBP
194 central libraries
168 branches
50 mobile libraries
Portugal has three hundred and eight local councils. We do not have – in the mainland – regions.
In the last twenty five years, one hundred and ninety four, local councils, were technical and finantial supported by central government – for which I work for – for the creation of a public library
Margarida Oleiro

3. RNBP COLLECTION Books e- books
119 Valid answers/ answer rate: 63%
e- books
166 Valid answers/ answer rate: 88%
Source: DGLAB statistical data (2011)
Total
Aver./per lib.
Minimum
Maximum
46 401
4 797
Total
Aver./per lib.
Minimum
Maximum
115
0,69 82
According to our annual survey to the Network public libraries, in two thousand and eleven, there were a total of five and a half million books. Only a hundred and fifteen were e-books
Margarida Oleiro

4. RNBP ACQUISITIONS (2011)
Books
121 Valid answers/ answer rate: 64%
e- books
150 Valid answers/ answer rate: 80%
Source: DGLAB statistical data (2011)
Total
Aver./per lib.
Minimum
Maximum
1 196
15 426
Total
Aver./per lib.
Minimum
Maximum 84
0,56 82
In two tousand eleven, one hundred and forty-five thousand, new books were added to the collections. However, only eigthy four were e-books and eigthy two belong to a single librarie.
Margarida Oleiro

5. Main issues (1)
No political agenda concerning libraries and digital resources:
Born digital (e-books)
Digitised (Google Books, etc.)
The new business model
No legal or finantial support from central government
No finantial support to digital libraries collection
Legal questions concerning royalties or public lending are not clear
What are the main causes for this situation?
There isn´t a political agenda concerning public libraries including digital resources
Unknowledge about the new business model
No legal and finantial support to digital libraries collection
Margarida Oleiro

6. Main issues (2) Offer from portuguese publishers: Still limited
Market is targeted to individual readers
Market is targeted to Brazil ( Brazil population /Portuguese population )
Publishers lobby is stronger than the librarian lobby
Offer from portuguese publishers is still limited
They are mainly interested in individual readers specially in the brazilian market
Publishers lobby is stronger than the librarian one
Margarida Oleiro

7. Main issues (3) Libraries: Do not have technological infrastructure
Staff do not have the necessary skills
Local councils are reducing costs
Collections are not renewed
There is no support from central government
Libraries are no longer on the political agenda
Libraries do not have the resources and skills needed to deal with digital collections.
Local councils are reducing costs
Central government do not invest in public libraries
Public libraries are no longer on the political agenda
Margarida Oleiro

8. you !
Margarida Oleiro