The TCO of e-books

Just ruminating aloud and in public here - bear with me.

One of my long held beliefs is that if a technology is worth messing with, it must do one of two things:

1. Allow one to do something one is already doing less expensively or more efficiently
2. Allow one to something of value that would be impossible without the technology

So can the case for e-books be made using either criteria?

The second criteria, added value, is easier to determine. If an e-book has a built-in text to speech function; interactivity or multimedia that builds interest and increases understanding; or can be used simultaneously by multiple readers, cost is less important. Having peers not able to see what one is reading may encourage less-able readers to read materials at their own level. Ubiquitous access that makes e-books, in essence, a part of home libraries can't be replicated by print collections. Given the purpose of the book, e-books offer a great deal of "value-added." One willingly pays for functionality.

Is the consideration that e-books be cost effective then moot? I don't think so. While it may be worthwhile to have value-added features in some materials (non-fiction, reference, easy readers, etc.) for much of the library collection, readers simply want to read a book. I don't see Harry Potter, Twilight, Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, Little House on the Prairie, or Captain Underpants vastly improved, only duplicated, in e-format. Which means if we should acquire these books as e-books, they ought to be less expensive. Or why bother.

Determining the annual Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a print book is relatively straightforward.  Take the cost of the print book and processing and divide by the expected lifespan of the book. If my library buys House of Hades for $20 and the book will last physically for 10 years, the TCO of the book is $2 per year. Yes, we could include the cost of library space, salary paid for circulation and shelving etc., but let's keep it simple here.

Determining the annual TCO of an e-book is more difficult. Unless otherwise stated, the TCO of an e-book is purchase price divided by the life expectancy of the book. Wait a minute - shouldn't a digital file last forever? Can we determine a popularity lifespan of a book?  Aren't there usually charges for the e-book delivery system (like Overdrive)? Don't some publishers make one re-purchase a title after so many circulations? If the library loans the reader (a Kindle, Nook, etc) on which the device is read, shouldn't the cost of that device be figured as well? Should we figure the cost of a print book bought in addition to the e-book in schools that are not 1:1 so all kids have access to a title?*

While it will vary from title to title, service to service, I find it tough to cost justify e-books that do not offer value-added features. I think we'll keep buying fiction in print unless I see another analysis that proves me wrong.

* See Forbes "You'll Need a PHD to Make Sense of the Pricing Schemes Publishers Place on Libraries" 11-19-13

_____________________________ 

I was part of a discussion at AASL last week that talked about the ethics of buying e-resources when not all students have a device or home Internet access. How can we justify buying e-books if only, say, 80% of students have the personal tech need to access them? Is this fair?

When I think of such situations, I am reminded of Scott (Dilbert) Adams observation that "...fairness isn't an objective feature of the universe. It's a concept that was invented so children and idiots can participate in arguments." So we need to be careful when analyzing "fairness."

If an e-book has features that provide a superior learning experience, is it fair to the 80% of students who do have devices to be denied access to those features because it is "unfair" to the other 20% who don't have access?

Were we talking about a cure for cancer that cures 80% of patients, should we withhold treatment out of fairness to the 20% on whom the cure doesn't work?

Hmmmmmmm. Might be a good argument for a true 1:1 program in all schools...

Building a conference session from the ground up

You're only given a spark of madness. You musn't lose it.
Robin P. Williams

Tomorrow I'll be doing a brand new conference session for the Global Education Conference. Ask me in the middle of constructing a new talk why I ever decided to tackle the topic, I could only say "insanity." Such tasks are not insignificant.

I follow a fairly standard outline when developing a 45-60 minute presentation. (I also have a similar formula for longer workshops.) Here is how it usually goes:

Determine a topic. Often it seems the topic chooses me rather than the other way around. This go-round it was whether and how education could develop empathy in students. It started with an article about research that showed fiction readers scored higher on tests that supposedly measure empathy. So I wrote a column about that. More recently, other articles and studies have stressed the importance of "affective" skills and behaviors and I have done some research. The importance of empathy, not just in personal but in vocational success, has not had enough attention, I believe, and bringing more attention to it would be good for kids. Empathy is essential in a global economy, global society.

Organize the material. As a former high school writing teacher, I know the importance of good organization. While it is not exactly the five paragraph expository essay, most of my sessions contain these bits:

• The Why This Topic is Important to Students
• The Research/Experience Report of What the Experts Say and Example to Which Educators Might Relate
• The Take-a-ways of What Teachers and Librarian Can Actually Do With This Information on Return to School 

While I do this, I also think of activities that reinforce the ideas I am trying to get across.

Create the slides. This is the time suck. I am pretty fussy about how my slides look. I am a fan of Presentation Zen, although do not follow it to the letter. (I still need some words since my slides serve as my note cards.) I also try to follow Robin Williams's advice in The Non-Designer's Design Book. This is a lot of work. But I hope my slides strengthen rather than inhibit my message.

Curate support materials. As I create my slides, I add sources to my wiki, create backchannel tools, and link to collaborative GoogleDocs. 

Tweak. I cannot open a slideshow or my wiki without wanting to make some changes. Every time I give a talk, the participates teach me something that I can add that strengthens the talk. I see a slide design and am embarrassed and fix it.

I don't practice my talk. I don't write out a script. I hopefully tell more stories than relate facts. I get nervous. I wonder why I bother. 

But when the talk starts, I start to have fun. 

Hope to work with some of you tomorrow at 2PM.

Don't be a mushroom when it comes to filtering

Knowledge is power.
Francis Bacon 

At an AASL session last week, a librarian discussed how she was able to get a GBLT website unblocked in her district - but not after a long and stressful ordeal, including the involvement of the ACLU. 

The discussion was inspiring and I applaud the librarian's efforts and eventual success, but it also made me wonder how many librarians and classroom teachers could answer these simple, but important questions:

1. What is the brand name of your Internet filter and what are its features? Can sites be white/black listed? Can teachers be given the ability to bypass the filter? Is the filter local or regional?
2. Who actually decides what sites are blocked in your district or region? Is there a process to getting a site unblocked or blocked?
3. Do you know your district's official selection and reconsideration policies? Do they apply to all resources - curriculum and library; physical and digital? Is there a standing or selected reconsideration committee?
4. What does CIPA actually require be blocked? Graphics and/or text? Social media? Pornography? Violence? Have you read the law?

Without knowing the answers to these questions, one is at the mercy of the tech department in determining what is allowed and not allowed through the Internet filter. I hear more librarians say, "The tech director says it (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) is not CIPA compliant. Well that, quite frankly, is bullshit and if you accept it, you are a mushroom - being kept in the dark and fed a lot of bull. 

Come on, knowledge is power. Know the facts about Internet filtering! Do it for your students.