Rational actions or institutional actions: A study on the rationality in academic librarians' decision-making processes when purchasing e-book products

Abstract

It is important for academic librarians to demonstrate that they are trusted stewards of public money when purchasing e-book products; however, prior studies seldom examine the rationality in librarians' decision-making processes. Interviews including 20 librarians from 19 different institutions were conducted to collect data about their decision-making processes when purchasing e-book products. Institutional theory was used as a framework to analyze interview data. Librarians' perceptions of the environment where their decision process occurred were described as full of uncertainty, with the e-book market viewed as non-competitive with limited alternative products. Seven strategies the interviewees adopted to justify their purchase decisions were then identified, including experimentation, incorporating users' input, reliance on written documents, learning from past experiences, learning from other libraries, group decision, and aggressive negotiation. Decision-making processes were a mixture of institutional and rational actions. Factors affecting rationality in librarians' e-book purchase decisions could be applied to other types of decision-making in library settings, allowing stakeholders to better understand and interpret the situations that either help or hinder the rationality in library's decision-making.