Only half the print books acquired by academic libraries are available as e-books.
Many academic e-books are released three to eighteen months after the corresponding print editions.
E-book distributors have strong economic and legal incentives to limit access to information—in particular, to lease information rather than transferring ownership.
Many licenses require repeated payments for access to content that does not change over time.
E-book publishers have taken advantage of the changing digital environment to weaken the legal framework that has traditionally favored libraries and their patrons.
License terms vary considerably, and the lack of standardization is a significant impediment to cost-effective e-book management.
The multiplicity of e-book file formats poses serious difficulties for both cross platform compatibility and long-term access.