Lending eBook
Readers at
Academic
Libraries
Crystal Rose
Grenfell Campus
MUN Libraries
eBooks in Canadian Academic Libraries
Expenditures on Electronic
Monographs as % of Total
Monographs
ELECTRONIC
MONOGRAPHS
12.7%
PRINT MONOGRAPHS
Data from 2006-2007
annual survey
What Do Users Think About eBooks?
User Surveys on eBooks
Gregory, C. L. (2008). "But I want a real book": An
investigation of undergraduates' usage and
attitudes toward electronic books. Reference &
User Services Quarterly, 47(3), 266-273.
• 66% prefer to use the physical book if given a
choice between print and electronic formats
• “use not read” trend
User Surveys on eBooks
Jackson, M. (2008). What faculty think: A survey on
electronic resources. Journal of Electronic
Resources Librarianship, 20(2), 110-116.
• 79.3% preferred print books for extensive
research
• more difficult to manipulate than print
• use for quick information
User Surveys on eBooks
JISC. (2009, November). National e-books
observatory project: Key findings and
recommendations.
• “grazing and extracting information rather than
for lengthy reading”
• only 5% spent more than 5 minutes viewing page
• “print version is still perceived as the preferred
format for continuous extended reading”
MUN Libraries 2009 eBook Poll
How would you improve access to the
library's e-books?
19% commented that they simply
preferred print books
11% suggested that the library provide
eBook readers
“Amazon.com is now selling
more Kindle books than
paperback books.”
-Amazon News Release
January 27, 2011
Common User Complaints about eBooks
• reading them using a computer is an
unsatisfactory experience
• discomfort sitting in front of a computer
• eye-strain from reading a bright, backlit screen
• inability to print
• lack of portability
• reliance on an internet connection
• interface of some eBook platforms
• inability to highlight, underline, make notes
Can eBook
readers assist
academic
library users?
Electronic Ink Microcapsules
eBooks & eReaders are Greener!
3 X raw
4 X the
materials
greenhouse
gas
78 X water
emissions
consumption
VS
Other eBook Reader Loan Studies
• Penn State University Libraries (Sony)
• Texas A&M University (Kindle)
• Cranfield University and Library Services at the
Open University, jointly (Sony and iPod Touch)
IREX DR-800
8 inch
screen
• Largest screen size
available in Canada
• Most expensive of the
three ($667.63)
• 16 level grayscale
• Wacom tablet with stylus
• ePUB, PDF, TXT, HTML,
Mobipocket PRC, JPEG,
PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP
Sony Reader Touch (PRS-600)
6 inch
screen
• 1st with touch screen
• $440.68
• 8 level grayscale
• ePUB, PDF, TEXT, BBeB
Book, RTF, MS Word,
HTML
• highlight, underline, write
hand-written notes with
stylus
Bookeen Cybook Opus
5 inch
screen
• smallest
• least expensive of the
three ($271.95)
• 4 level grayscale
• ePUB, PDF, HTML, FB2,
TXT, JPG, GIF, PNG
Why not a Kindle?
Does lending
academic
library users
eBook readers
increase their
satisfaction
with eTexts?
Overall, how satisfied were you with
your experience using an eBook reader?
60%
50%
56%
40%
30%
25%
20%
13%
10%
6%
0%
very
satisfied
somewhat somewhat
very
satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied
How would you rate your experience using an
eBook reader compared to the following:
90%
Print (i.e. traditional book)
80%
Computer
70%
Laptop/Netbook
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Liked eBook reader
more
Liked eBook reader
same amount
Liked eBook reader
less
Did you experience any difficulties
transferring content to the reader?
100%
90%
94%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
NO
YES
How likely are you to check out an eBook
reader from the library again?
50%
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
25%
20%
15%
12.5%
10%
12.5%
5%
0%
Very likely somewhat
likely
not very
likely
not at all
likely
How well do
eBook readers
work with the
library’s existing
e-text
collections?
What did you read on the eBook
reader/s? (Choose all that apply)
12
69%
10
56%
8
6
4
38%
25%
19%
2
0
Library
eBook
Library ejournal
article
Personal
document
Free eBook
Purchased
eBook
http://calibre-ebook.com
Which type of
eBook reader
works best for
academic
library users?
Which device was most popular?
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Sony Touch
IREX
Opus
How important is it for you that an eBook reader
allows you to high-light text and make notes?
45%
44%
40%
35%
30%
31%
25%
20%
19%
15%
10%
5%
6%
0%
Very
somewhat not very not at all
important important important important
What issues do
academic
libraries need
to consider
when lending
eBook readers?
Conclusions…
References
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52(1), 75-87.
CACUL Task Force on Standards in Higher Education. (2010, March 9). Canadian
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usage and attitudes toward electronic books. Reference & User Services
Quarterly, 47(3), 266-273.
Jackson, M. (2008). What faculty think: A survey on electronic resources. Journal
of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 20(2), 110-116.
JISC. (2009, November). National e-books observatory project: Key findings and
recommendations. Retrieved from http://www.jiscebooksproject.org/wpcontent/JISC-e-books-observatory-final-report-Nov-09.pdf
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23(2), 140-144.
Oder, N., Albanese, A., & Hadro, J. (2009). Is it ok to lend a Kindle? Library Journal,
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