[Lib-helig-l] E-book Reading Jumps; Print Book Reading Declines

E-book Reading Jumps; Print Book Reading Declines

by Lee Rainie and Maeve Duggan

Findings
The population of e-book readers is growing. In the past year, the
number of those who read e-books increased from 16% of all Americans
ages 16 and older to 23%. At the same time, the number of those who
read printed books in the previous 12 months fell from 72% of the
population ages 16 and older to 67%.

Overall, the number of book readers in late 2012 was 75% of the
population ages 16 and older, a small and statistically insignificant
decline from 78% in late 2011.

The move toward e-book reading coincides with an increase in ownership
of electronic book reading devices. In all, the number of owners of
either a tablet computer or e-book reading device such as a Kindle or
Nook grew from 18% in late 2011 to 33% in late 2012. As of November
2012, some 25% of Americans ages 16 and older own tablet computers
such as iPads or Kindle Fires, up from 10% who owned tablets in late
2011. And in late 2012 19% of Americans ages 16 and older own e-book
reading devices such as Kindles and Nooks, compared with 10% who owned
such devices at the same time last year.



This move toward e-books has also affected libraries. The share of
recent library users1 who have borrowed an e-book from a library has
increased from 3% last year to 5% this year.2 Moreover, awareness of
e-book lending by libraries is growing. The share of those in the
overall population who are aware that libraries offer e-books has
jumped from 24% late last year to 31% now.3

These latest figures come from a survey by the Pew Research Center's
Internet & American Life Project which was conducted on October
15-November 10, 2012 among 2,252 Americans ages 16 and older. The
margin of error is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.

Who reads e-books
In the book-reading population, those most likely to read e-books
include those with college or graduate degrees, those who live in
households earning more than $75,000, and those whose ages fall
between 30 and 49.

The tables below, which show increases among various demographic
groups, are based on those who say they had read a book in the past 12
months, not the full population of those ages 16 and older.



Who read books in the past 12 months
In the new Pew Internet survey 75% of Americans ages 16 and older said
they had read a book in any platform in the previous 12 months. That
is not statistically significantly different from the 78% who in late
2011 said in a survey they had read a book in the previous 12 months.
Of them:

89% of the book readers said they had read a printed book. This
translates into 67% of all those ages 16 and older.
30% of the book readers said they had read an e-book. This translates
into 23% of all those ages 16 and older.
17% of the book readers said they had listened to an audio book. This
translates into 13% of all those ages 16 and older.
All told, those book readers consumed a mean (average) of 15 books in
the previous 12 months and a median (midpoint) of 6 books — in other
words, half had read fewer than six and half had read more than six.
That breaks down as follows:

7% of Americans ages 16 and older read one book in the previous 12 months
14% had read 2-3 books in that time block
12% had read 4-5 books in that time block
15% had read 6-10 books in that time block
13% had read 11-20 books in that time block
14% had read 21 or more books in that time block

E-book borrowing from libraries
This move toward e-books has also affected libraries. The share of
recent library users who have borrowed an e-book from a library has
increased from 3% last year to 5% this year.

Beyond that, there is growing public awareness that the vast majority
of public libraries now lend e-books. In the entire population of
those ages 16 and older, the number who are aware that libraries offer
e-book loans increased from 24% last year to 31% now. At the same
time, there has been a drop in the number of people who do not know
whether their local library has an e-book borrowing program. Now, 57%
say they don't know if their library offers e-books. Last year, 63% of
those ages 16 and above did not know if their library offered e-books
for borrowing.4


http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/12/27/e-book-reading-jumps-print-book-reading-declines/

--
Regards
Fatima Darries

E-LIS SA Editor

http://eprints.rclis.org

www.highedlibrarian.blogspot.com
www.openaccesslibrary.pbwiki.com


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