Since LSU Libraries implemented e-books as a resource, the number of students using these online books has continued to increase. From 2015 to 2016, the e-book usage increased 35 percent, following an 87 percent increase the fiscal year before.
Director of Library Communications and Publications Sigrid Kelsey said most of these e-books allow more than one person to use at once, and most of the e-books can also be printed or downloaded for free. Kelsey said the e-books are more popular and are used more than the print books. Here’s a list of the top ten most checked out e-books from last year.
1. Oil & Gas Engineering
This is a category on Knovel, a database with engineering technical reference information. The category was used 42,259 times, and made up 7.59 percent of the total number of e-books used.
2. Handbook of Damage Mechanics
Written by University professor George Z. Voyiadjis, Ph.D., this online reference covers different aspects of damage and healing mechanics. Last year, the e-book was used 41,026 times, making 7.37 percent of the total number of e-books used.
3 Ordinary Differential Equations
This e-textbook is a part of the e-textbook program at LSU Libraries, which enables students to access some textbooks needed for class for free. This e-book was used 6.02 percent of the total of e-books used, or 33,485 times.
4. Petroleum Production Systems, Second Edition
This e-textbook is also part of the e-textbook program at LSU Libraries. Used 22,151 times, this textbook made up 3.98 percent of the total.
5. General Engineering & Project Administration
This is another engineering category on the Knovel database. Students used this category 21,687 times, which was 3.90 percent of the total of e-books used.
6. Grove Music Online
This online music resource is offered through the Oxford University Press and is used mostly for music research. This resource made up 2.14 percent of the total number of e-books used, or 11,912 times.
7. Safety & Industrial Hygiene
Another category on Knovel. This resource was used 2.11 percent out of the total number of e-books used, which was 11,769 times.
8. Applied Petroleum Reservoir Engineering, Third Edition
This petroleum engineering textbook is a part of the e-textbook program through Safari Books. Students used this textbook 11,591 times, making up 2.08 percent of the total e-books used.
9. Principles and Practices of Interconnection Networks
Another textbook accessed through Safari Books, this textbook on computer design was used 10,233 times and was 1.84 percent of the total e-book usage.
10. Film Studies: An Introduction
This textbook is offered through eBrary, an online digital library. This intro to narrative film was 1.66 percent of the total of e-books used with 9,238 clicks.