Have a research paper due tomorrow and you’re just starting it at 2 a.m.? The library may be closed, but with the recent expansion of the Cowles e-books collection, you are not out of luck.

E-books are essays and books catalogued online that are not available in print in the library’s stacks.

Drake began carrying e-books about seven years ago through various online collections, including ebrary and NetLibrary. About 60,000 titles have been accumulated so far.

Through ebrary, Cowles Library offers subscription titles, such as journals. The items, available through NetLibrary, are purchased by Cowles.

This semester, Drake accessed another e-book collection, EBL, or Ebook Library. Through EBL there are over 25,000 new titles available “on demand” through the Cowles Library catalog.

EBL does not subscribe or own titles, as with the other two models.

“EBL’s Demand Driven Acquisition model allows Cowles to make unowned titles visible to Drake students,” Teri Koch, professor of librarianship, said.

Koch said Cowles library is one of the first libraries in the Midwest to implement a Demand Driven Acquisition model.

“Our librarians do their very best to keep our library up to date with the latest materials and technology,” Megan Brown, assistant professor of English, said.

Students are not charged for using the EBL system. Cowles is charged a pay-per-use fee and on the fourth use of a title, the library will automatically purchase the item.

“The idea is basically (that) we’re going to be acquiring books based more on student demand,” said Mireille Djenno, librarian for the First Year Experience.

Djenno said this would put library funds to better use, rather than trying to anticipate needs and buying e-books students may not use.

E-books offer many advantages to make research easier. Users can choose to have a book on loan for one day or seven days, and take electronic notes in the document, which can be saved.

“One of the nice features of the EBL collection is that you can look at an e-book for five minutes for free, and there’s absolutely no charges at all to Drake,” Koch said.

Users can also easily search e-books for key terms and phrases.

“The Internet is great, but there is so much out there that sometimes it’s hard to narrow information down,” first-year Jessica Mattes said.

Most e-books will allow the user to print as much as 20 percent of the document.

“With some e-books, you can even copy and paste information you need directly into another document,” Koch said.

The main selling point of the e-book medium is the convenience.

“You don’t have to physically be in the (library) building to have access to research or textbooks, and I think that is really helpful,” Djenno said.

E-books are not only a cost-effective way for Cowles to expand its library, but they are also considered eco-friendly, as they are not printed on paper.

Users can also download the e-book to their laptop if they want.

“This way if you were going to be somewhere without an Internet connection, you won’t have to go online to access it later,” Koch said.

Many students are grateful for this easier access to credible sources.

“I think the concept is great,” sophomore Lauren Knutson said. “I would definitely give e-books a chance!”

For more information about EBL and accessing e-books, go to the Cowles Library Web site or speak with a librarian.

HOW TO ACCESS E-BOOKS ONLINE

• The EBL titles are easily accessible from the Cowles Library home page
(http://library.drake.edu).
• Click on the “Find Books” icon.
• Click on the link our “online catalog” for one of our three major e-book collections.
• Enter a key word or phrase and select “E-Book: Ebook Library (EBL)” in the dropdown “Location” box.
• Once you have found a title you would like to look at, click on the “URL” link in the bottom right-hand corner of the title-box.
• Enter your Drake ID and password and enjoy your e-book.