DBW/Verso Survey Points to Ebook Lending Gap

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By David Rapp Jan 28, 2011

While print-book borrowing at libraries remains healthy, ebook lending still has a way to go, according to statistics in the 2010 Survey of Book-Buying Behavior, by Digital Book World (DBW) and advertising firm Verso Digital, presented this week during the DBW Conference & Expo 2011 in New York. The survey, conducted this past December, tapped more than 3800 adults 18 and over.

When asked where they typically purchase or borrow print books, 44.7% of respondents answered "local libraries," more than any other single outlet. Friends and co-workers and local independent bookstores were the next two most popular book sources, followed by other book retailers.

In contrast, when they were asked where they typically purchase or borrow ebooks, only 14.7% said local libraries—fewer than Amazon (27.6%) and Barnes & Noble (15.2%), but more than other ebook vendors, such as Sony, Apple, and Kobo.

Overall, the study indicated that elending had yet to take off. Respondents said they typically borrowed just one ebook per year, and just 4% of those surveyed were library ebook power-users—borrowing 13 ebooks or more.

Although more respondents said that they currently own an ereader (7.9%) compared to a previous survey in 2009 (2.9%), interest in ereaders may be slowing slightly: 19.3% of those surveyed said they were likely to purchase an ereader in the next year, down from 25% in 2009.

The survey also indicated that ereader users keep print in the mix: about 19% of ereader owners still borrow 13 or more print books per year. Overall, respondents said that they typically borrowed an average of 4.8 print books each year, with 18.9% of people borrowing 13 or more books annually.

In a LJ and School Library Journal survey released last September, "The Growing Importance of Ebooks in U.S. Library Collections," the majority of public, academic, and school library respondents said that ebook popularity did not affect print circulation.

[Library Journal is a media sponsor of DBW 2011.]

Reader Comments (4)

As a small public library, which is not part of a consortium, it is difficult for us to offer ebooks for patrons. What are our options?

Posted by M ichele Van Epps on February 1, 2011 01:45:56PM

As an owner of a Kindle, library eBooks are not available for my device. Until this problem is addressed, I can't take advantage of an eBooks that the library might offer.

Posted by Leigh Compton on February 1, 2011 05:43:37PM

If only Kindle would support epub format! I'm a librarian, and to be honest, I don't even understand how my library district selects ebooks for our Overdrive service. I'm definitely not the only one in the dark, either. I've been actively looking into our ebook collection because I am hoping to purchase an eReader soon, but it is quite limited. I think the systems we have in place are a bit too clunky to be preferable to a simple online book store. We need to get on top of it, though!

Posted by Jess on February 1, 2011 09:42:25PM

I'm a school librarian, and have borrowed both an ebook and several audiobooks from our public library. After researching, I requested a Nook for Christmas intentionally so I could borrow books from the library. I do admit, however, that I have downloaded more books from Barnes and Noble because they have free books available and the specific titles at the library are not available when I am looking for books to download. Since the library is limited in their number to loan while the vendors giving free books are not, this is understandable.

Posted by Cindy on February 7, 2011 07:10:08AM

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