How Old is That Ebook: A Call for Standardization in Publisher-Provided Ebook Publication Dates

Abstract

This article explores the way in which eight academic publishers portray the publication dates of ebooks on their websites and title lists and the need for standard terminology for, and display of, ebook publication dates. Publishers often use terminology that does not accurately describe the dates they are providing, and sometimes they provide only the date of electronic publication, which can be misleading when the print version was published many years prior. Unclear publication dates can force librarians to spend a great deal of time searching for publication dates, and it could potentially lead to unintended purchases or duplication.