Arndt, Theresa A. Getting Started with Demand-Driven Acquisitions for E-Books: A LITA Guide. Chicago: ALA TechSource, 2015.

This published version is made available on Dickinson Scholar with the permission of the publisher. For more information on the published version, visit American Library Association's Website.

Thousands of e-books are published each year; and rather than holding steady, e-book prices are rising—some 3.5% this year alone. With so many titles out there, how do you know which ones will actually circulate? Demand-driven acquisition (DDA) may be the answer for your library, and getting started needn’t be daunting. This LITA Guide includes more than 200 criteria questions to help you develop a DDA e-book program that’s right for your library, offering perspective on Why DDA is worth considering, and how it increases instant access to more e-books for library users while holding down overall library book purchasing cost increases Prioritizing goals to better negotiate with vendors Workflow with library services providers and e-book aggregators Managing trade-offs between staff time and direct costs Factors in policy decisions, such as single or multiple vendors, short term loans, and mediating purchases Using MARC records and discovery services Vendor reporting, cost per use, processing costs, and other metrics for assessment Incorporating DDA titles into your catalog Focusing on the unique requirements and processes of e-book acquisition, this guide will help ensure that your library’s e-book collection is both vibrant and cost-effective.