How E-books Are Used

Abstract

The article presents a literature review of research on the topic of electronic book usage, with particular focus given to academic library patrons. The finding that academic users are likely to use electronic books to refer to discrete pieces of information rather than reading them in their entirety is discussed, and the advantages of e-books to academic users including searchability and constant availability are examined along with disadvantages including difficulty of use and loss of the physical experience of browsing.