ATG Special Report: Academic Library Survey on eBooks and eBook Readers

Abstract

In Fall 2013, Carmichael Library at the University of Montevallo (UM), Alabama's public liberal arts university, surveyed users about their current and potential eBook and eBook reader usage. The library has been cautious with regards to eBooks adoption, partly due to budgetary restraints along with a lack of knowledge about our users' eBook preferences. While the primary interest of the survey is in student use, faculty and staff were also surveyed so that all patron groups were represented. Undergraduate students were the highest responders, with staff and faculty closely behind. The results show that a healthy percentage of library patrons are currently using eBooks with varying frequency, offering a chance for growth of the collection. The time has come for UM to proceed with eBook collection development informed by research and survey results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]