Pew Research: Libraries, Patrons, and Ebooks (Outline/Highlights From a First, Cursory Reading)

Summary

Part 1: An introduction to the issues surrounding libraries and e-books 

• The strained relationship between libraries and publishers 
• The current state of play between libraries and publishers 
• The rise of Amazon 

Part 2: Where people discover and get their books

The way people prefer to get books in general: To buy or to borrow?

Where did the most recent book come from?

Excerpt:  14% had borrowed the book from the library. Fully 37% of the 16- and 17-year-olds in our survey got their most recent book from the library, and 20% of those ages 65 and older followed suit. Those whose most recent book came from the library tended to be those in the least well-off households—those earning $30,000 or less. Non-tech owners—those who don’t have tablets or e-readers or cell phones or internet access—were more likely than tech owners to have gotten their most recent book from the library.

A closer look at libraries

Library card holders vs. non-cardholders:

• 62% of card holders regularly read daily news or a daily newspaper (vs. 52% of non-card holders) and most say they read news on a computer or handheld device. 
• 55% of library card holders regularly read magazines (vs. 39% of non-card holders) and 35% of card holders read magazines on a computer or handheld device.

The e-book ecosystem: Where do e-book readers start their search?

Part 3: Library users

Part 4: How people used the library in the past year

Excerpt: It is also worth noting that internet users are more likely than non-users to have gone to the library in the past year and gotten help from a librarian:

Part 5: Libraries in transition

How patrons' book-borrowing habits are changing. Many librarians echoed this. “Our customers are still using the library but in different ways. They browse our catalog online, place reserves on the items they want, then pick them up at their location of choice. Many fewer browse the collection in person,”

Changes in library holdings. In our online questionnaire, library staff described how they are attempting to fund e-book collections in response to rising patron demand. One common strategy mentioned by these librarians was to shift some funds allocated from printed collections to digital collections. Others mentioned cutting increasingly obsolete resources, like collections of cassettes or VHS tapes, as well as databases that are rarely used.