Students' attitudes towards e‐books in a Scottish higher education institute: part 1

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the first part of three inter‐related studies investigating the use and usability of e‐books in higher education based on experiments conducted at the University of Strathclyde.Design/methodology/approachA self‐selected sampling method was employed from undergraduate and postgraduate instructional students registered with the University of Strathclyde for academic year 2005/2006. An announcement email was posted to the student web portal for a period of three weeks inviting them to participate in the survey.FindingsThis survey found that e‐book awareness and the level of e‐book usage amongst students was lower than anticipated: 57 per cent of students were not aware of the availability of e‐books from the library and 60 per cent of them had not used an e‐book. Non‐users commented that e‐books were not widely advertised or promoted. Despite the low levels of e‐book awareness and usage non‐e‐book users indicated their desire to learn more about e‐books.Research limitations/implicationsThis survey was dependent on self‐selection and, therefore, there was no central control over the sample profile (e.g. gender, level of studies, academic discipline); hence, generalisation of the results should be treated with caution.Practical implicationsThis survey is beneficial in terms of obtaining a better understanding of e‐book usage among students and the reasons why students do, and do not, use e‐books. The findings should be of value to academic libraries in terms of emphasising the need to increase e‐book awareness and usage amongst students.Originality/valueThe findings should be of value to academic libraries in terms of emphasising the need to increase e‐book awareness and usage amongst students.

Not on the Same Page: Undergraduates' Information Retrieval in Electronic and Print Books

“…17 More recently, Abdullah and Gibb published the results of a series of investigations into e-book usability issues. 18 The first study surveyed students about their awareness and usage of ebooks. The second study of the series explored students" reactions while they interacted with ebooks.…”

“…13 Although e-book awareness and usage is generally lower than anticipated, many non-e-book users express a desire to learn more about e-books. 14 Strategies identified in the literature for promoting the use of e-books include embedding them within online or virtual learning environments such as course websites or course management systems, user training for e-books, and direct promotion to faculty members. 15 …”

Research on e-book usage in academic libraries: ‘tame’ solution or a ‘wicked problem’?

“…In others, some attempt is made to suggest approaches to improve visibility. For example, an improvement in advertising and training with regards to the use of e-books (Makin 2008;Folb, Wessel & Czechowski 2011) is aimed at development within the institution, whilst other recommendations were specifically aimed at a set of vendors (Abdullah & Gibb 2008;Lincoln 2013). Such recommendations cannot, of themselves, be regarded as of general significance or applicability.…”

The (be)coming of the book: The transformation of a text medium in the late age of print

“…Those who find it important to distinguish between content and technology (e.g. Abdullah and Gibb 2008;Armstrong 2008;Garrod and Weller 2005) interpret the technology to denote the tool (often the hardware) used to access the content,…”

“…Hence, it is common that current definitions of e-books emphasize the book-analogy approach; an e-book is 'a digital equivalent of a printed book' (Abdullah and Gibb 2008;Helmersson 2015;OED 2014b;Swedish publishers 2008 Dahlberg 2009;Henke 2002;Svedjedal 2001) defined the e-book as a 'hand-held computer with integrated software, specifically designed for the reproduction of digitally stored texts, with or without sound' 2 (Leckner 2009: 134), while in 2015 they, along with other sources, describe the e-book as a digital file suitable to be read on a computer device (Helmersson 2015). Those who find it important to distinguish between content and technology (e.g.…”