Yesterday we released a brand new report in our series on libraries in the digital age, this time examining the reading and library habits of younger Americans. Get the full report here: http://pewrsr.ch/PNALyT
Here are some questions to ponder:
- Why do you read?
- How do you read? On an e-reader? On a print book?
- If you read electronically, on what format? E-reader? Tablet? Cell phone?
(Source: libraries.pewinternet.org)
Tomorrow morning, we’ll release the third installment in our series on libraries in the digital age — this time focusing on the reading and library habits of younger Americans. Catch up on all things library here: libraries.pewinternet.org.
"People are asking for digital content. Anything digital. They are hungry for it."
— Library staff member, responding to our online canvassings of patrons and librarians for our new report on libraries, patrons, and e-books. Read the full report here.
(Source: libraries.pewinternet.org)
Do you borrow e-books from your library?
12% of readers of e-books borrowed an e-book from the library in the past year. But a majority of Americans do not know that this service is provided by their local library.
- 62% of Americans ages 16+ (& 58% of library card holders) don’t know if their library lends e-books.
- 58% of Americans ages 16+ have a library card; 69% say the library is important to their family and them
- 32% of e-book borrowers say the selection at their library is good, 18% say it’s very good, & 16% say it’s excellent
We’ve got tons more on libraries, publishers, and e-books in our brand new report today, including info on where people discover and get their books, how book-borrowing habits are changing, and why some people don’t borrow e-books from libraries.
Print vs. e-books showdown
In our recent report on the rise of e-reading, we asked people who read both print books and e-books in the past year which format they thought was better for a variety of situations. You tell us — If you’re a “dual-format reader,” when does print win out over e-books (and vice versa?) How have e-books changed your reading habits (if at all)?
E-books aren’t just for e-readers …
While there is a tendency to associate e-books with dedicated e-reading devices, we found that among people who read e-books, just as many read their e-books on a desktop or laptop computer as on an e-book reader like a Kindle or Nook—and more people read e-books on their cell phones than on tablet computers.
Take a deeper dive into the data here.
We want to know: Where do you read your e-books: On your phone? Laptop? E-reader? All of the above?
For our next report studying the changing role of public libraries in the digital age, we’re supplementing our usual nationally representative phone surveys with non-scientific, non-representative online studies to draw out the deeper, richer stories behind the data. If you check out or download e-books from your local public library, please participate in the study and tell us about your experiences!
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/participate/survey/e-book-borrowers
Our next report in our series that will examine libraries in the digital age (over the next few years) will combine the quantitative results from our December 2011 nationally representative phone survey with longer responses and stories from a series of online surveys of both librarians and e-book borrowers. We are actively looking for e-book borrowers to volunteer to take our online surveys.
Are you a library user? Or a librarian? Do you own an e-book reader, or a tablet computer? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, we want to hear from you. Sign up here to be notified of future online surveys to help us learn how library patrons’ needs and expectations are changing in the era of e-books, widespread mobile connectivity, and the existence of vast digital collections.
We released our big report on the rise of e-reading last week; but we’re just getting started. Over the course of the next 2 years, we’ll roll out a series of reports examining technology adoption and use in libraries, patrons’ expectations, the “library of the future,” and how libraries fit into people’s lives in all sorts of ways - here’s a sneak peek at the timeline.
