Cambridge Books
Project Description
The UCF Libraries is requesting $253,672.50 to purchase a large collection of e-books entitled Cambridge Books Online (CBO). The collection will include all books available online that were published between 2000 and August 2011. With the purchase of this collection, UCF will gain perpetual rights and online access to 5,888 books with a value of $759,498.49.
Cambridge University Press is a major publisher of academic and professional books, offering the finest academic and educational writing from around the world. As a department of the University of Cambridge, its purpose is to further the University’s objective of advancing knowledge, education, learning, and research. Cambridge is not just a leading British publisher – it is the oldest printer and publisher in the world and one of the largest academic publishers globally.
Cambridge Books Online is organized and sold as subject collections. UCF already has acquired three subject collections in Psychology, Music, and Management. Psychology was purchased for all State University Libraries in Florida with funds from the Florida Center for Library Automation. UCF purchased Music and Management with 2010 Technology Fee funds as part of a project to deliver iPads and e-book content to students. The Cambridge e-books already purchased, and the titles that would become available if this Technology Fee proposal is successful, are suitable for research, study, and course assignments, and they can be assigned as textbooks. UCF students and faculty will be able use the e-books for any fair use and educational purposes, including embedding the content in Webcourses. Access would be available to all UCF students and employees, with off campus access enabled by EZproxy.
Student Access to Project Resources
Total number of students served by the project:
Cambridge Books Online is delivered via the web, and it is available 24/7. It
would be accessible to all students, whether on campus or gaining access via EZproxy. The e-books will be easy to discover through the library catalog or librarian-created LibGuides. Patrons will also discover these books through subject databases, and even through internet search sites such as Google Scholar. Cambridge e-books are in PDF format and students may print, e-mail, and download entire chapters and booksto read off-line on a cell phone, e-book reader, laptop, or any computer.
Percentage of target student population to be served by the project.
The collection is of potential benefit to the entire UCF community, including
the 56,235 students and 1,827 teaching faculty . Because UCF will own the content, Cambridge Books Online will benefit UCF’s community into the future. The content aligns with UCF’s course offerings, with special emphasis in the broad disciplines of Social Sciences, Philosophy, Health Professions, Homeland Security and Law Enforcement, and Natural Resources and Conservation. Table 1 below lists UCF’s programs that will most benefit from Cambridge Books Online, the number of titles that will interest each program, and the list value of the titles. The Cambridge e-Book Collection helps faculty by providing both literature for faculty research and relevant materialfor course assignments.
| Program Area | Titles/Area | Value of Titles | All Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business, Management, Marketing | 308 | $37,131 | 980 |
| Computer And Information Sciences | 80 | $8,093 | 8,109 |
| Education | 45 | $4,232 | 5,739 |
| Engineering | 236 | $33,925 | 5,492 |
| English Language And Literature | 328 | $38,833 | 994 |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics | 450 | $57,149 | 158 |
| Health Professions | 555 | $78,848 | 6,655 |
| History | 450 | $53,477 | 553 |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement | 547 | $77,084 | 1758 |
| Leisure And Recreational Activities | 26 | $2,662 | 58 |
| Mathematics And Statistics | 391 | $49,611 | 329 |
| Multi, Interdisciplinary Studies | 15 | $1,316 | 1,902 |
| Natural Resources And Conservation | 499 | $85,455 | 4,270 |
| Philosophy And Religious Studies | 578 | $64,976 | 160 |
| Physical Sciences | 323 | $49,733 | 545 |
| Psychology | 44 | $5,246 | 3,746 |
| Social Sciences | 901 | $98,196 | 2,180 |
| Visual And Performing Arts | 43 | $5,244 | 2,811 |
Benefit to Student Learning
Cambridge is recognized as a leading academic publisher, producing scholarly books relevant and appropriate to university student course work and faculty research. The content will directly support student learning by providing material for course papers, projects, and study.
Sample titles from Cambridge Books Online found in Table 2, hint at the breadth and depth of the content that will become available to UCF. The e-books could be used for general study by students, embedded into online courses as assigned readings, or as discovered during literature reviews by both faculty and students. Many of the titles are suitable as textbooks (examples below in Table 2 are marked with an arrow). It is feasible for faculty to replace or supplement their main textbooks with Cambridge e-books. The chapters can be embedded in online courses and there is no limit on the number of people who can open Cambridge e-books at one time.
The UCF Libraries is committed to work directly with faculty and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) to publicize this collection and its potential use as textbooks and for course readings. The focus will be on educating faculty about the importance of this collection and how it can be used for course assignments. The Libraries will offer informational materials to distribute during various events, such as the faculty development conferences, and will feature information about the Collection in newsletters, library blogs, exhibits, and special events such as Cram for Exam. And librarians will instruct students about Cambridge e-books during Information Literacy sessions.
| Title | Topic | Value |
|---|---|---|
| ADHD in Adults | Mental health, psychiatry and clinical psychology | $98 |
| Assessing Vocabulary | Applied linguistics | $75 |
| Axiomatic Theories of Truth | Logic | $98 |
| Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics | Medical law, medical ethics, forensic medicine | $174 |
| Designing Inclusion | Labor economics | $91 |
| Dynamics of Markets | Econophysics and financial physics | $102 |
| Eat or be Eaten | Animal behavior | $259 |
| Economics of Football | Industrial economics | $97 |
| Freedom in Machinery | Engineering design, kinematics, and robotics | $91 |
| Games for Language Learning | Education Methodology | $75 |
| Handbook for Academic Authors | General | $92 |
| How to Protect Investors | Corporate law, commercial law, company law | $253 |
| Innovation on Demand | Technology management | $101 |
| Introduction to Quantum Theory | Quantum physics, information, and computation | $75 |
| IT Project Proposals | Engineering | $92 |
| Language Activities for Teenagers | Education Methodology | $75 |
| Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy | Materials science and engineering | $266 |
| Learning Theory | Pattern recognition and machine learning | $91 |
| Logic of Concept Expansion | Logic | $91 |
| Magnetic Reconnection in Plasmas | Plasma and fusion physics | $236 |
| Mammal Community Dynamics | Zoology | $271 |
| Mass Balance of the Cryosphere | Hydrology and water resources | $248 |
| Poetry of Praise | English literature | $100 |
| Prediction, Learning, and Games | Pattern recognition and machine learning | $93 |
| Rethinking Bank Regulation | Finance, accountancy | $92 |
| Scandal on Stage | European literature | $101 |
| Strategic Legal Writing | Law | $98 |
| Student’s Writing Guide | English language, linguistics | $75 |
| Teaching Medical Professionalism | Medical law, medical ethics, forensic medicine | $109 |
| Textbook of Pediatric HIV Care | Pediatrics and child health | $413 |
| Textbook of Stroke Medicine | Neurology and clinical neuroscience | $114 |
| Virtue of Aristotle’s Ethics | Ancient philosophy | $101 |
Project Success Metrics and Assessment Plan
The Libraries will measure the success of Cambridge Books Online through usage data and surveys. The Libraries will monitor usage through COUNTER standard reports that track which titles are used, and the number of chapters downloaded.
Usage of the three Cambridge Books Online collections already owned by UCF has been strong, with 631 chapter views during June-July 2011 . The three collections, in Psychology, Music, and Management, were acquired very recently and the UCF Libraries has not yet actively marketed the content to students or faculty.
Usage is expected to grow yearly for the first three years the Collection is available, with the following success metrics:
| Year | Target Unique Titles Used | Target Chapter Downloads |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2,000 | 10,000 |
| 2013 | 4,000 | 20,000 |
| 2014 | 5,000 | 35,000 |
The Libraries will survey and interview faculty about their use of this collection and determine how many e-books and chapters are assigned as course readings, as well as the faculty’s satisfaction with the content. Surveys will be used to assess student satisfaction. For both faculty and students, satisfaction with the collection content and interface should start high and remain high, and 70% or more of e-book collection users should report that they are satisfied or very satisfied with the content and system.
Project Sustainability
In terms of Technology Fee funding, the project’s life is one year. The requested funds will cover the entire cost of the titles on Cambridge Books Online. The UCF Libraries will purchase selected new Cambridge eBooks using funds from the existing library materials budget. UCF Libraries will catalog the e-books, and maintain access and links with existing staffing.
Space Administration
No space is needed for the project.