The increasingly important role that e-books and e-readers are playing in libraries makes it essential for librarians to get a handle on the ins and outs of e-book purchasing. Sue Polanka has compiled an expert-authored series of articles for this issue of Library Technology Reports that provide strategies, best practices, and case studies for meeting the unprecedented legal, technological, and vendor challenges that come with e-book purchasing. Articles include:

“Consortial Purchasing of E-books,” by Susan Hinken and Emily J. McElroy

“Academic Library Dilemmas in Purchasing Content for E-readers,” by Eleanor I. Cook

“Open Access E-books,” by E. S. Hellman

“The E-textbook Revolution,” by William D. Chesser

“Digital Textbooks,” by Stephen R. Acker

“Textbooks, Open Educational Resources, and the Role of the Library,” by Greg Raschke and Shelby Shanks