Electronic books in public libraries: a feasibility study for developing usage models for Web-based and hardware-based electronic books Final Report, August 2004 The primary project contacts are: James Dearnley J.A.Dearnley@lboro.ac.uk Linda Berube Linda.berube@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Martin Palmer martin.palmer@essexcc.gov.ukThe project website can be found at:http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dis/disresearch/e-booksinpublib/index.html 1 AcknowledgementsMany individuals have been helpful to us during the design and implementation of this research. We particularly wish to thank Frances Hendrix for her ongoing interest in the project, and also Dr Jim Parker for his friendly advice. The advisory board members gave us practical and important advice during the course of the research, and we are particularly indebted to Ian Sutton (Blackburn with Darwen libraries) for his willingness to share information on the Total-IT-y programme. Penny Garrod also deserves thanks for publicising our research widely in her ongoing work at UKOLN.We also wish to offer special thanks to Claudia Weissman and Steve Potash at OverDrive for their enthusiasm and help in setting up and maintaining the OverDrive collection. Our thanks also go to Coutts (ebrary's agent in the UK), for all their help during the last year.Finally, our thanks go to all the librarians at Essex who took part in this research for their help and suggestions. Specifically, this report describes and analyses a range of findings from the project for the period from January to June 2004, during which time both hand-held and webbased collections were implemented and made available to the public. Moreover, it offers guidelines to other public library authorities considering the adoption of ebook collections and mobile technology. Because Essex has adopted the e-book collections procured during the project as a sustained service, the Project Team will continue to gather data and information on the web-based ebook collections provided by OverDrive and ebrary. We will publish additional findings and case studies in a supplement in early 2005. ContextIn the UK, public library provision of ebook software and hardware devices has not been widespread, although there has been a degree of interest and experimentation in ebook collection development. The reasons for relatively low uptake of ebooks in the UK are significant. Commercial ebook collections are available in the UK, but there has been a distinct hesitation connected to the lack of appropriate models through which to introduce them effectively to the public. Concerns include:lack of content and collection development of specific UK-interest titles ; network security; expense (e.g. cost of introducing ebook collections versus maintaining and developing existing pbook collections); licensing and stock supply models; lack of content and subtstantive ebook collections; maintenance (e.g keeping iPAQ devices functional); and usability (e.g. offering a service which people find useful and as enjoyable as reading from pbooks).C...

Ottawa rule did not miss any important intracranial diagnosis in this cohort, including viral meningitis (n=6; 1.6%), subdural haematoma (n=3; 0.8%), intraparenchymal haemorrhage (n=5; 1.4%), arteriovenous malformation (n=2; 0.6%) and primary brain neoplasm (n=1; 0.3%). The scope of the Ottawa rule therefore may be wider than previously described and its clinical applicability may not be limited only to patients with a thunderclap headache. This study, however, is retrospective. These results should therefore be considered as hypothesis generating rather than confirmatory and would require validation within the context of a prospective study.The results of our study add to the growing body of evidence for the use of this tool and although it will not usurp the opinion of the clinician it may be helpful for risk stratification and to facilitate the discussion with radiological colleagues when requesting CT in patients with acute non-traumatic headache presenting to the emergency department. ■ As such, we would like to remind our colleagues to remember that the itchy (rash free) patient can be a classic presentation of iron deficiency (with or without anaemia). ■

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