E-Reading

Pew Internet reported on the rise of e-reading this week. See the entire report here. Below are some of the highlights from the report. FYI, the library has over 70,000 ebooks and you can download them. You must install the Adobe Digital Edition app to read them on your mobile device. See the book page here.

• 21% of Americans have read an e-book. The increasing availability of e-content is prompting some to read more than in the past and to prefer buying books to borrowing them.


• A fifth of American adults have read an e-book in the past year and the number of e-book readers grew after a major increase in ownership of e-book reading devices and tablet computers during the holiday gift-giving season.


• The average reader of e-books says she has read 24 books (the mean number) in the past 12 months, compared with an average of 15 books by a non-e-book consumer


• 30% of those who read e-content say they now spend more time reading, and owners of tablets and e-book readers particularly stand out as reading more now.


• The prevalence of e-book reading is markedly growing, but printed books still dominate the world of book readers.


• E-book reading happens across an array of devices, including smartphones.


• In a head-to-head competition, people prefer e-books to printed books when they want speedy access and portability, but print wins out when people are reading to children and sharing books with others.


• The availability of e-content is an issue to some.


• The majority of book readers prefer to buy rather than borrow.