Here in the Library we’re committed to continuously improving the digital resources available to our students and academic staff. In March we hosted a user feedback event focused on ebooks and etextbooks, aiming to gather valuable insights and suggestions to enhance your experience.
We gathered feedback in two different ways:
- a ‘graffiti wall’ in the library, where students could leave comments;
- an in-person Ebook Brew and Bites event with coffee and cake, bringing together students and staff to share their experiences and thoughts.
What you said
Device Preferences: Many of you use a combination of devices to access ebooks, such as laptops, library computers and mobile phones. Some of you appreciate the larger screens of laptops and library computers, while others prefer the convenience of mobile devices.
Accessibility and Usability: You would like better accessibility features, such as text-to-speech options, as well as improved search functionality. You were frustrated by some ebook readers which log you out after a period of inactivity, causing you to lose your place.
Platform Experience: Opinions on the Kortext platform were mixed. While some of you found it clunky and preferred PDF versions, others appreciated its features but noted that not all titles were available on it. Some of you wanted a unified platform where all titles could be accessed.
Content Availability: You want more diverse content, as well as academic resources not currently covered by university subscriptions. Some of you suggested making certain ebooks available in print.
Search Functionality: You emphasized the importance of effective search tools within ebook platforms. Some of you rely on basic search functions like CTRL+F, while others were not familiar with more advanced features. You would like improved search capabilities for searching within documents as well as across platforms.
Have a look our our guide on how to get the best from each ebook/etextbook platform: https://libguides.stir.ac.uk/ebooks;
You also let us know about other things that you would like to see in the library, so we are going to try to get more fiction, including graphic novels, to add to our book collection in the Wellbeing Space.
We’re also had responses asking how to report noise in the library. If you email libraryreception@stir.ac.uk as they are available all of the libraries opening hours.
We’re grateful to all participants for your contributions, whether you wrote a note on the graffiti wall or attended the Ebook Brew and Bites event. We look forward to delivering an enhanced ebook experience that meets the needs of our university community.