Factors Affecting the Use of Print and Electronic Books: A Use Study and Discussion

Abstract

This article outlines a study assessing and comparing the rate of use of nonreference print and electronic book collections acquired during the same time period at one academic library. Rate of use was examined for both collections by discipline and method of acquisition. IntroductionThis article outlines a study assessing and comparing the rate of use of nonreference print and electronic book collections by discipline and method of acquisition acquired during the same time period at one academic library. The author uses this data to explore, within the context of previously published research, how different collection development methods (firm-order and approval plans for print books and demanddriven acquisition of e-books) impact monograph use in academic libraries, whether print books have lost their value for library users, and how libraries can assess if and/ or when e-books are used more than print. This study is unique in attempting to compare use of all of a library's nonreference print and electronic monographs acquired during the same time period and also in its discussion of the rate of use of e-books from multiple studies. Thus, the article offers new perspectives on the transition of academic library collections from print to electronic format.

Using Logistic Regression to Examine Multiple Factors Related to E-book Use

“…They state that "there is no consensus on how to reliably measure ebook usage," a complaint with which Fry concurs. 13 The field lacks standardized ways to compare print and e-book usage or standard ways to interpret electronic usage. Although COUNTER provides an international standard of what elements should be included in a usage report, the standards still allow for widely differing ways of measuring the extent of use.…”

“…Fry examined all the books acquired within the same time period, regardless of publication date. 33 Knowlton considered all print books acquired during a certain time period and compared these to e-books from the library's largest e-book collections. He also excluded print books that do not circulate.…”

“…Fry points out that if print use is declining, it may be because the library is buying fewer new books, whether due to decreased circulation or more economical purchasing options for e-books. 35 A fairly common measure that considers the collection size is Percent of Expected Use, or PEU. Mills coined this term in 1982, and it has subsequently been used in several studies.…”

Ebook Rate of Use in OhioLINK: A Ten-Year Study of Local and Consortial Use of Publisher Packages in Ohio

“…In 2014, the author collected data that showed that BGSU's recently acquired, nonreference print monographs, beginning with those acquired in 2008-2009, were used at a much higher rate than is commonly expected in academic libraries. 50 As table 8 shows, the rate of use of these titles has continued to grow. These data support the fact that the longer a group of titles is available, the more will be used, an idea that was first noted for print books by Burrell in his seminal 1985 paper, which established what is known as the "80/20 rule."…”

Indexing the Theologico-Political

“…This advice by Coyle fits well with that given a generation earlier by Jim Collins, which is that the move from good to great will come through appreciating our current strengths, rather than trashing everything and waiting to be rescued by an outsider messiah. 11 I went ahead and listed some of our strengths: hospitality, circulating print collections, 12 physical meeting space, support for ministers. These strengths are not simply things we do well, but also part of our library's culture.…”