The document presents a summary of survey data collected over ten years at the University of Denver regarding user preferences for ebooks versus print books. Results indicate that while awareness and usage of ebooks has grown among faculty and students, many still prefer print for various reasons such as physicality and functionality. Conclusions suggest libraries must accommodate both formats to meet diverse user needs.

1. What Do Our Users Think About
eBooks? 10 Years of Survey Data
at the University of Denver
Charleston Conference
November 5, 2015
Michael Levine-Clark
michael.levine-clark@du.edu

2. What Do Our Users Think About
eBooks AND PRINT BOOKS? 10
Years of Survey Data at the
University of Denver
Charleston Conference
November 5, 2015
Michael Levine-Clark
michael.levine-clark@du.edu

3. Three Surveys
• Spring 2005, 2010, 2015
– Entire university community
– Similar, but not exact, questions
• Two articles from 2005 survey:
– Levine-Clark, M, “Electronic Book Usage and Humanities:
A Survey at the University of Denver,” Collection Building
26, no. 1 (2007): 7-14.
– Levine-Clark, M, “Electronic Book Usage: A Survey at the
University of Denver,” portal: Libraries and the Academy
6, no. 3 (2006): 285-299.

4. University of Denver
• Private institution
• 5,643 undergraduates
– Liberal arts and sciences, business
• 6,166 Graduates
– Many professional programs
– Strong social sciences focus

5. eBooks at the University of Denver
1999-2005
Colorado Alliance
NetLibrary DDA
2005-present
Ebrary Academic Complete
subscription, additional subs,
EBSCO subs
2006-present
Various publisher packages
Duke, Springer, OUP
E-preferred approval plan
2010-present
DDA – EBL, ebrary,
JSTOR
2012-present
CO Alliance DDA
2013-present
Evidence-Based
Selection

6. Off-Campus Storage
• In 2011 we moved 60% of the monographs to
offsite storage
– One criterion is availability of an e-version

7. Responses
0 200 400 600 800 1000
2005
2010
2015
Other
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
877
2,067
1,818

8. Are you aware we have ebooks?
(% answering Yes)
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%
2005
2010
2015
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty

9. Are you aware we have ebooks, by
discipline (% answering Yes)
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%
2005
2010
2015
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM

10. Have you ever used an ebook? 2015
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
Faculty Undergrad Grad
Yes - Personal Device
Such as Kindle
Yes - Coursework,
Research
No

11. Have never used an ebook
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
2005* 2010 2015
Faculty
Undergrad
Grad
*For 2005, data about differences between groups for this question are missing

12. 2015: Why have you never used an ebook?
• Prefer physicality of print books/dislike
reading on screen
• Like taking notes
• Don’t like functionality of ebooks
• Unaware of option
• Don’t have a reader

13. How often do you use ebooks?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2005
2010
2015
One-Time Only
Occasionally
Frequently

14. 2015: How often do you?
Read ebooks for pleasure?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
One-Time Only Occasionally
Frequently
Use ebooks for research/teaching?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
One-Time Only Occasionally
Frequently

15. Why do you use ebooks?
(Pick all that apply)
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
2015 2010
No Print Version Available Easier than Going to Library
For Searching For Reading Small Portions of Text
Other

16. 2015: Why do you use ebooks?
(Pick all that apply)
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
Faculty Undergrad Grad
No Print Version Available Easier than Going to Library
For Searching For Reading Small Portions of Text
Other

17. 2015: Why do you use ebooks?
(Pick all that apply)
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
No Print Version Available Easier than Going to Library
For Searching For Reading Small Portions of Text
Other

18. 2015: Why do you use ebooks? (other)
• Cheaper/free
• Portable
• Faster/immediate access
• Ability to highlight, take notes
• For pleasure, not for academic work (or the
other way around)
• Similar reasons in 2010

19. How do you typically use books?
EBOOKS Entire Book (4) Chapter (1) Single Section (2) Multiple (3)
2010 3.31 2.05 2.17 2.38
2015 2.75 2.19 2.30 2.32
PRINT Entire Book Chapter Single Section Multiple
2010 2.44 (3) 2.17 (1) 2.93 (4) 2.31 (2)
2015 1.88 (1) 2.23 (2) 2.73 (4) 2.50 (3)
Please rank choices from 1 to 4:
• Read the entire book
• Read a chapter within the book
• Read a single entry or a few pages
• Skip around/Read multiple sections

20. 2005: How do you typically read an ebook?
(pick one)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Read the Entire Book
Read a Chapter
Read a Single Entry or a
Few Pages

21. 2015: How do you typically read a book? (rank these)
EBOOKS Chapter Single Entry/A
Few Pages
Skip
Around/Multiple
Portions
Entire Book
Arts & Hum 2.17 2.28 2.55 3.04
Business 2.36 2.41 2.13 2.72
Nontraditional 2.14 2.33 2.28 2.29
Professional 2.18 2.32 2.28 2.79
Social Sciences 2.10 2.31 2.32 2.82
STEM 2.29 2.23 2.39 2.97
PRINT Entire Book Chapter Skip Around/
Multiple
Sections
Single
Entry/A Few
Pages
Arts & Hum 1.82 2.06 2.22 2.57
Business 1.96 2.56 2.68 2.85
Nontraditional 1.87 2.23 2.72 2.65
Professional 1.85 2.18 2.36 2.59
Social Sciences 1.88 2.18 2.41 2.84
STEM 1.91 2.24 2.52 2.78

22. How do you read an ebook?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
2015
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2010

23. If you had p and e versions of the
same book, which would you use?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015
2010
2005
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic
It Depends

24. 2015: If you had access to p and e versions of
the same book, which would you use?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Faculty
Undergrad
Grad
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic
It Depends

25. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic
It Depends
2015: If you had access to p and e versions
of the same book, which would you use?

26. 2015: If you had access to p and e,
which would you use? (It depends)
• Price
• Amount of book needed
• Whether it’s a one-time need or an ongoing need
• Images = need print
• Where you are (portability)

27. 2015: Do you prefer an ebook or print when…
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
print available but can get ebook within a
day
ebook available but can get print in 3-5 days
ebook available but can get print in 3 hours
need to answer a specific question
need to find some information to back up my
argument
need to read a chapter within a book
need to read an entire book, but I can skim
need to read an entire book, cover to cover
Always Print Usually Print Usually Electronic Always Electronic

28. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
need to answer a specific question
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
need some info to back up my argument
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
need to read a chapter within a book
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
need to read an entire book, but can skim
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
need to read an entire book, cover to cover
Always Print Usually Print Usually Electronic Always Electronic
2015

29. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
print available, can get ebook within a day
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
ebook available, can get print in 3-5 days
Grad
Undergrad
Faculty
ebook available, can get print in 3 hours
Always Print Usually Print Usually Electronic Always Electronic
2015

30. 2015: Preference for e or p when I need to
read an entire book, cover to cover
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic

31. 2015: Preference for e or p when I need to
read an entire book, but can skim
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic

32. 2015: Preference for e or p when I need to
read a chapter within a book
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic

33. 2015: Preference for e or p when I am writing a
research paper and need to find some
information to back up my argument
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic

34. 2015: Preference for e or p when I am
trying to answer a specific question
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic

35. 2015: Preference for e or p when the library has
ebook but can get print version in 3 hours
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic

36. 2015: Preference for e or p when the library has
ebook but can get print version in 3-5 days
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic

37. 2015: Preference for e or p when the library has
print but can get ebook within a day
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arts & Humanities
Business
Nontraditional
Professional
Social Sciences
STEM
Always Print
Usually Print
Usually Electronic
Always Electronic

38. For which types of books would you
prefer an ebook over print?
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
2015 2010
Textbook
Reference Book
Edited Collection of
Scholarly Essays
Scholarly Monograph
Fiction
I would Never Prefer an
eBook

39. 2015: For which types of books would you
prefer to read an ebook over print?
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
Faculty Undergrad Grad
Textbook
Reference Book
Edited Collection of Essays
Scholarly Monograph (single-
author narrative)
Fiction
I would Never Prefer an
eBook

40. 0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
Arts &
Humanities
Business Nontraditional Professional Social Sciences STEM
Textbook Reference Book
Edited Collection Scholarly Monograph
Fiction I would Never Prefer an eBook
2015: For which types of books would you
prefer to read an ebook over print?

41. In which scenarios would you use an ebook?
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
2015 2010
Course-Related Assignment
Course-Assigned Textbook
Research
I would Never Use an eBook
(in 2015, this was
accidentally labeled as
"I would never PREFER

42. 2015: In which scenarios would you use an ebook?
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
Faculty Undergrad Grad
Course-Related
Assignment
Course-Assigned
Textbook
Research

43. 0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
Arts &
Humanities
Business Nontraditional Professional Social Sciences STEM
Course-Related Assignment Course-Assigned Textbook Research
2015: In which scenarios would you use an ebook?

44. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2015 2010
76-100%
51-75%
26-50%
11-25%
10% or less
For roughly what percentage of your research or coursework do
you use books (print or electronic) vs other forms of publication
(such as journal articles, conference proceedings, etc)?

45. 2015: For roughly what percentage of your research or coursework
do you use books (print or electronic) vs other forms of publication
(such as journal articles, conference proceedings, etc)?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Faculty Undergrad Grad
76-100%
51-75%
26-50%
11-25%
10% or less

46. 2015: For roughly what percentage of your research or coursework
do you use books (print or electronic) vs other forms of publication
(such as journal articles, conference proceedings, etc)?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
76-100%
51-75%
26-50%
11-25%
10% or less

47. A few quick conclusions
• There are clear needs/preferences for both
formats
– Linked to type of use
– For particular users
– Libraries can’t rely on one format and expect to
serve users
• Bundled purchase of e/p
– Local or consortial
• DDA plans for e/p

48. Thanks
Michael Levine-Clark
michael.levine-clark@du.edu
http://www.slideshare.net/MichaelLevineClark