[Publib] Results from the survey: Library Use of E-books

[primarydat at aol.com]

Primary Research Group has published Library Use of E-books, 2008-09 
Edition, (isbn 1-57440-101-7) and would like to share some of the 
results.

Data in the report is based on a survey of 75 academic, public and 
special libraries.  Librarians detail their plans on how they plan to 
develop their e-book collections, what they think of e-book readers and 
software, and which e-book aggregators and publishers appeal to them 
most and why. Other issues covered include: library production of 
e-books and collection digitization, e-book collection information 
literacy efforts, use of e-books in course reserves and inter-library 
loan, e-book pricing and inflation issues, acquisition sources and 
strategies for e-books and other issues of concern to libraries and 
book publishers.

Some of the report’s findings are that:
•   Libraries in the sample expected to renew over 77% of their current 
contracts.
•   Well over 81% of the sample cataloged their e-book collection and 
listed it in their online library catalog.
•   E-book spending by libraries is growing rapidly in 2008 but by 
significantly less than in 2007
•   For the most part, librarians in the sample felt that their patrons 
were less skilled in using e-book collections than they were in using 
databases of magazine, newspaper and journal articles.
•   The libraries in the sample had MARC records for a mean of 
approximately 74% of the e-books in their collections.
•   Many libraries reported significant use of electronic directories. 
12.5% reported extensive use and 30% said that use was significant.  
The larger libraries reported the heaviest use.
•   Use of e-books in the hard sciences was particularly high. More than 
30% of participants said that use of e-books in the hard sciences 
(defined as chemistry, physics and biology) was quite extensive and 
another 26% noted significant use.
•   Libraries in the sample maintained a print version for a mean of 24% 
of the e-books in their e-book collections.
•   Nearly 21% of the libraries in our sample have digitized 
out-of-copyright books in their collections in order to make their 
contents more available to their patrons.
•   E-books account for only about 3.9% of the books on course reserve, 
with a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 30%.
•   Nearly 70% of the sample’s total spending on e-books was with 
aggregators, while just over 24.6% of the total spending was spent with 
individual publishers.

Data is broken out by library budget size, for US and non-US libraries 
and for academic and non-academic libraries. The report presents more 
than 300 tables of data on e-book use by libraries, as well as analysis 
and commentary.

The report is available from Primary Research Group 
(www.PrimaryResearch.com) and from major book distributors.  For a list 
of survey participants, table of contents and sample tables view our 
website at www.PrimaryResearch.com.