Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/87421
XXXX that the EPUB format was most commonly used by our vendors. The firm network supports iPads and iPhones, so they were the only devices suitable for the trial (dedicated e-readers such as the Kindle and Nook were not supported by the firm). Although it is possible to read an e-book on an iPhone, it is not practical, so the iPad became the device of choice. Access to business email on the device helped users take advantage of some special features of the e-books, such as the ability to email sections or chapters. In researching the use of e-books in law firms, I found that legal publishers had not progressed into the e-book market as nimbly as publishers of novels and other more popular works. Kindle and other dedicated e-readers were premised on a one-book/one-device/one-reader business model. How would that work in a law firm library? True, public libraries make that work, but they deal primarily with e-book aggregators. Although this requires a standard, lowest-common-denominator licensing agreement, individuals can check out e-books from public libraries, at least once they find the title(s) they want. We purchase directly from the publishers for 95 percent of the materials our lawyers need. When asking how three big competitive corporations were going to sell e-books to law firms, it was no surprise to find that each publisher went about it differently. Even now, the publishers are still developing a strategy. The mechanics of acquiring and distributing books, making sure they are up to date, and retrieving books from departing attorneys are all part of the job of the AALL/ILTA White Paper 67