Not in Love, or Not in the Know? Graduate Student and Faculty Use (and Non-Use) of E-Books

Date

2012

Authors

Cassidy, Erin Dorris
Martinez, Michelle
Shen, Lisa

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Elsevier (Journal of Academic Librarianship)

Abstract

This study focuses on usage of electronic books (e-books) among advanced researchers, including graduate students and faculty, at a four-year academic institution. The researchers aimed to highlight differences in behavior, perception, and attitude between users and non-users of e-books. The survey findings suggest that, while a majority of these researchers do not necessarily favor e-books over print books, they do appreciate the convenience of the electronic format. Moreover, the results also indicate that many researchers may be entirely unaware of the library e-books available in their areas of study or may not fully realize all the features already being offered by some of these e-books, such as highlighting, note-taking, accessibility options, and downloading. These findings provide timely and practical applications for librarians interested in increasing library e-book usage with focused marketing plans targeting the needs of specific patron segments.

Description

Keywords

e-books, graduate students, faculty, attitudes, user behavior, non-users

Citation

Cassidy, Erin Dorris, Shen, Lisa, & Martinez, Michelle (2012). Not in love, or not in the know? Graduate and faculty use (and non-use) of e-books. Journal of Academic Librarianship 38(6), 326-332. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2012.08.005