In transition: academic e-book reading in an institution without e-books

Abstract

The paper reports the results of a study that examined the ways in which graduate-level library and information science students make use of e-books and e-readers at an institution that does not offer e-books through its library. The study used three research methods-a survey, focus groups, and interviews-to investigate library and information science students' reading habits and preferences. The findings suggest that despite the barriers of access and usability, the students have generally incorporated e-books into their academic routines. The paper can be used as a case study in the adoption of emerging technology. LITERATURE REVIEW As the technology of e-books and e-readers matures and gains popularity, the number of publications about the use of this technology in academic libraries increases as well (Lopatovska et al., 2013). The research has largely focused on issues of usage, relationships between mobile devices and reading preferences, and vendor comparisons. A smaller number of publications focus on the drawbacks of e-book technology that affect its wider adoption by academic libraries. Usage A large number of the reviewed studies examined e-book usage by various academic communities, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, on the international, national and institutional levels. Jamali et al. (2008) report the results of a survey of 16,000 students and faculty from 123 UK universities. The article provides detailed reports on e-book use among various demographic groups (males/females, engineering/medical students) and discusses those e-book features that users find valuable (e.g. convenience and searchability). Springer (2009) conducted a large scale study surveying the users of several academic libraries in the US and abroad. The report indicated that academic readers tended to read e-books differently than print counterparts (skimming v in-depth reading) and used primarily reference and textbook titles for their research and study.

Book or NOOK? Information behavior of academic librarians

“…This finding is not surprising as work demands had been previously found to influence information behavior (Ingwersen and Jarvelin, 2005;Vakkari, 2003;Yuelin and Belkin, 2008). In the context of professional reading, while many participants have adapted to reading digitally, the majority of them prefer to read longer professional documents in print, a preference prevalent in previous studies (Lopatovska et al, 2014;Zhang and Kudva, 2013;Woody et al, 2010).…”

“…In conjunction with this trend, the number of studies on information technology adoption in academia is also on the rise. Popular themes in technology adoption literature include information technology use, preferences of college students (Rod-Welch et al, 2013;Lopatovska et al, 2014;Foasberg, 2011) and faculty (Dodds et al, 2014;Mulholland and Bates, 2014) as well as issues pertaining to the development of digital collections and services (Dewan, 2012;Walters, 2013;Newman and Bui, 2010;Blummer, 2006). In an effort to understand the perspectives of those responsible for academic library offerings, several recent studies focussed on information behavior and technology use of academic librarians.…”

“…Additional factors influencing students' uses of media were similar to the reasons librarians cited for their own information behavior, namely, content accessibility and convenience. These reasons are frequently mentioned in the literature on information technology adoption (Lopatovska et al, 2014;Staiger, 2012;Rod-Welch et al, 2013). Librarians believe students use digital texts for short segments of text, a behavior identified across all categories of academic users (Staiger, 2012) and among students specifically (Foasberg, 2014;Rod-Welch et al, 2013).…”

Users’ Perceptions of E-books at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi : A Case Study

“…Features such as accessibility, credibility, coverage, cost, visual and interactive content, portability, and the easy-tonavigate interface attract users and enhance the circulation and usage of e-books 5 . The users also appreciate features of highlighting and adding annotations 6 . The features of adding annotations and sharing enhance users' engagement and leads to a rich learning experience 7 .…”

Understanding academic reading behavior of Arab postgraduate students

“…In terms of use of electronic materials in reading, studies found that students tend to incorporate digital materials into their reading and prefer the use of digital materials over the printed alternatives. Also, it was revealed that the use of electronic paper varies between academic disciplines (Liu, 2006; Lopatovska et al, 2014; Savage et al, 2016). Another study by Kurata et al (2017) confirmed that reading electronic resources is predominant and has increased in the past 10 years.…”