The Pew Internet and American Life Group released the findings of a study today that clearly demonstrated consumers’ wishes to enjoy more widespread access to ebooks from their local public libraries. While companies like OverDrive and 3M Library Cloud Library unveil new projects and upgrades each week and announce the addition of entirely new partner libraries, several major publishers have still not been able to come to terms that all parties are pleased with in order to allow their titles to be loaned.
The overview of the report explained the sentiments of many readers:
“Some 12% of Americans ages 16 and older who read e-books say they have borrowed an e-book from a library in the past year. Most e-book borrowers say libraries are very important to them and their families and they are heavy readers in all formats, including books they bought and books lent to them. E-book borrowers say they read an average (the mean number) of 29 books in the past year, compared with 23 books for readers who do not borrow e-books from a library. Perhaps more striking, the median (midpoint) figures for books reportedly read are 20 in the past year by e-book borrowers and 12 by non-borrowers.”
One of the findings of the report, unfortunately, was that many library patrons are not even aware that their public libraries already lend ebooks, let alone that their libraries could be lending ebooks if they were to partner with an ebook provider:
- 58% of all library card holders say they do not know if their library provides e-book lending services.
- 55% of all those who say the library is “very important” to them say they do not know if their library lends e-books.
- 53% of all tablet computer owners say they do not know if their library lends e-books.
- 48% of all owners of e-book reading devices such as original Kindles and NOOKs say they do not know if their library lends e-books.
- 47% of all those who read an e-book in the past year say they do not know if their library lends e-books.
The full text of the report is found by clicking HERE.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
