Library ebook Survey hosted by OverDrive ebook survey hosted by OverDrive and American and Library American Association Library (ALA) Association (ALA) 1. State of residency: Alabama 0.8% 583 Alaska 0.5% 394 Arizona 1.4% 1,032 Arkansas 1.0% 737 California 7.2% 5,428 Colorado 2.7% 2,031 Connecticut 1.0% 761 District of Columbia 0.1% 94 Delaware 0.3% 214 Florida 7.2% 5,422 Georgia 2.6% 1,977 Hawaii 0.5% 366 Idaho 0.5% 395 Illinois 3.0% 2,289 Indiana 2.8% 2,108 Iowa 1.5% 1,137 Kansas 0.3% 237 Kentucky 1.5% 1,130 Louisiana 1.8% 1,384 Maine 0.8% 581 1 of 12
Maryland 0.9% 684 Massachusetts 2.6% 1,977 Michigan 3.4% 2,578 Minnesota 3.4% 2,590 Mississippi 0.3% 203 Missouri 2.4% 1,799 Montana 0.6% 436 Nebraska 1.2% 878 Nevada 0.5% 392 New Hampshire 1.2% 883 New Jersey 1.5% 1,165 New Mexico 0.6% 417 New York 8.0% 6,007 North Carolina 0.9% 689 North Dakota 0.1% 48 Ohio 4.7% 3,545 Oklahoma 1.8% 1,378 Oregon 2.7% 2,003 Pennsylvania 4.0% 2,990 Rhode Island 0.7% 556 South Carolina 1.7% 1,257 South Dakota 0.3% 256 Tennessee 2.6% 1,938 Texas 5.6% 4,256 Utah 0.8% 627 Vermont 0.1% 104 2 of 12
Virginia 4.3% 3,204 Washington 5.2% 3,947 West Virginia 0.2% 186 Wisconsin 0.0% 29 Wyoming 0.1% 62 answered question 75,384 skipped question 1 2. Gender: Female 78.4% 59,109 Male 21.6% 16,275 answered question 75,384 skipped question 1 3 of 12
3. Age: 13-17 3.0% 2,255 18-29 8.6% 6,517 30-39 16.7% 12,578 40-49 20.1% 15,136 50-64 34.9% 26,304 65-70 9.8% 7,403 71+ 6.9% 5,191 answered question 75,384 skipped question 1 4. OPTIONAL: What is your household income, including all earners in your household? $ 20,000 - $29,000 9.7% 5,460 $30,000 -$ 49,000 16.2% 9,121 $50,000 - $59,000 11.0% 6,185 $60,000 -$ 74,999 14.9% 8,419 $75,000 - $99,999 18.7% 10,561 $100,000 - $149,000 18.9% 10,649 $150,000 + 10.7% 6,019 answered question 56,414 skipped question 18,971 4 of 12
5. OPTIONAL: What is the highest level of education you have completed? Less than High School 1.9% 1,332 High School / GED 6.7% 4,759 Some College 17.4% 12,386 2- or 4-Year College Degree 40.9% 29,133 Postgraduate Degree (Master s, Professional, etc.) 33.1% 23,574 answered question 71,184 skipped question 4,201 5 of 12
6. How did you learn about downloading ebooks from your library? Please check all that apply. Link from library s website 52.6% 34,206 Library s online catalog 22.4% 14,603 Promotional materials in the library 15.8% 10,260 Librarian 18.3% 11,891 News article / Blog 10.8% 7,031 TV / Radio 1.3% 871 Digital Bookmobile 0.8% 516 Recommendation from a friend or family member 20.7% 13,470 Other 3.5% 2,290 Other (please specify) 5,465 6 of 12
7. What do you feel are the benefits of using the library's download service? Please check all that apply. Convenience 90.5% 58,883 Free 91.8% 59,737 24/7 access 85.8% 55,810 Selection of titles 23.7% 15,393 Compatibility with devices 49.7% 32,352 Ease of use 56.0% 36,440 Accessibility for the visually impaired 4.1% 2,697 Other (please specify) 1,808 8. How long have you been downloading ebooks from your library? This is my first time 9.2% 6,004 0-1 month 5.4% 3,519 1-3 months 10.7% 6,940 3-6 months 19.1% 12,458 More than 6 months 55.5% 36,136 7 of 12
9. What device(s) do you use to read ebooks from the library? Please check all that apply. Desktop or laptop PC 20.2% 13,162 Desktop or laptop Mac 4.2% 2,753 ebook Reader (e.g., Kindle, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble nook ) 83.5% 54,307 Smartphone (e.g., iphone, Android, BlackBerry) 19.3% 12,531 Tablet (e.g., ipad, Galaxy) 18.7% 12,182 Other 1.7% 1,076 Other (please specify) 2,770 10. Has your digital borrowing (ebooks, audiobooks, etc.) from the library increased or decreased over the past 6 months? Increased 60.4% 39,267 Decreased 6.8% 4,431 Stayed the same 32.8% 21,359 8 of 12
11. Which statement best describes your average use of the library? I visit the physical library but am new to downloading ebooks. 11.1% 7,217 I both visit the physical library and download ebooks from the library. 53.1% 34,577 I rarely or never visit the physical library but download ebooks from the library. 31.2% 20,323 I rarely or never visit the physical library and am new to downloading ebooks. 4.5% 2,940 12. OPTIONAL: In a typical month, how often do you visit the library (# of visits)? Physical branch 94.6% 53,846 Virtual branch 95.4% 54,303 answered question 56,913 Average # of visits: Physical - 2.4, Digital - 6.9 skipped question 18,472 9 of 12
13. 13. OPTIONAL: OPTIONAL: In In a typical typical month, month, how how many many books books (digital (digital and and physical) physical) do do you you purchase purchase at at retail 13. OPTIONAL: (including In audiobooks)? typical month, how many books (digital and physical) do you purchase at retail (including audiobooks)? retail (including audiobooks)? Physical books from physical and Physical books from physical and Physical books from online physical booksellers and 93.8% 52,011 online booksellers 93.8% 52,011 online booksellers 93.8% 52,011 Digital books (ebooks, Digital books (ebooks, audiobooks) Digital books from (ebooks, online audiobooks) from online audiobooks) booksellers from online booksellers booksellers 97.8% 54,216 97.8% 54,216 97.8% 54,216 answered question 55,461 answered question 55,461 answered question 55,461 skipped question 19,924 skipped question 19,924 skipped question 19,924 Average # of books purchased: Physical - 1.0, Digital - 2.2 14. 14. OPTIONAL: OPTIONAL: Have Have your your book book purchases purchases increased increased or or decreased decreased over over the the past past 6 months? months? 14. OPTIONAL: Have your book purchases increased or decreased over the past months? Increased Decreased Stayed the same Increased Decreased Stayed the same Increased Decreased Stayed the same Physical books 4.1% (2,228) 43.4% (23,614) 52.5% (28,517) Physical books 4.1% (2,228) 43.4% (23,614) 52.5% (28,517) Physical books 4.1% (2,228) 43.4% (23,614) 52.5% (28,517) Digital books 43.5% (23,828) 12.7% (6,962) 43.7% (23,938) Digital books 43.5% (23,828) 12.7% (6,962) 43.7% (23,938) Digital books 43.5% (23,828) 12.7% (6,962) 43.7% (23,938) answered question answered question answered question skipped question skipped question skipped question 15. 15. If If a digital digital audiobook audiobook or or ebook ebook is is unavailable unavailable in in the the library's library's digital digital collection collection or or there there is is 15. wait If time, digital would audiobook you consider or ebook purchasing is unavailable it from in the an online library's retailer? digital collection or there is a wait time, would you consider purchasing it from an online retailer? wait time, would you consider purchasing it from an online retailer? Yes 53.1% 34,516 Yes 53.1% 34,516 Yes 53.1% 34,516 No 46.9% 30,541 No 46.9% 30,541 No 46.9% 30,541 10 of 12 10 of 12 10 of 12
16. Have you ever purchased a book (physical or digital) after borrowing that title from the library? Yes 35.3% 22,941 No 64.7% 42,116 17. How do you find or discover books to read? Please check all that apply. Recommendations from family / friends 75.5% 49,086 Public Library 57.5% 37,387 Reviews (newspaper, magazines, online) 74.3% 48,332 Store recommendations 21.2% 13,767 Other 8.0% 5,186 Other (please specify) 13,999 11 of 12
18. Please rank your preferred source for books (1 = most preferred, 6 = least preferred): 1 2 3 4 5 6 Physical bookstore 5.8% (3,775) 11.4% (7,396) 21.6% (14,046) 19.7% (12,845) 20.1% (13,092) 21.4% (13,901) 65,055 Online bookstore 19.7% (12,791) 29.0% (18,837) 17.2% (11,216) 14.0% (9,113) 13.1% (8,525) 7.0% (4,573) 65,055 Public Library 60.0% (39,009) 17.3% (11,261) 8.5% (5,537) 4.7% (3,084) 3.8% (2,487) 5.7% (3,677) 65,055 General store with books (e.g., Wal- Mart, Target) 3.6% (2,341) 6.0% (3,897) 12.8% (8,315) 23.5% (15,270) 24.2% (15,726) 30.0% (19,506) 65,055 Second-hand bookstore 4.6% (2,968) 13.5% (8,789) 21.0% (13,650) 21.0% (13,663) 20.3% (13,203) 19.6% (12,782) 65,055 Borrow from family / friends 6.4% (4,171) 22.9% (14,875) 18.9% (12,291) 17.0% (11,080) 18.5% (12,022) 16.3% (10,616) 65,055 answered question 65,055 skipped question 10,330 Survey Methodology The survey, sponsored by OverDrive with the American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy, was conducted from June 13 to July 31, 2012 at thousands of US public library websites powered by OverDrive. 75,384 visitors to the libraries ebook catalog pages completed all or part of the survey. The survey was intended to provide insights into borrowing and buying behaviors of library ebook readers and is not representative of the US population as a whole. For more information about the survey, please visit the OverDrive Digital Library Blog or contact info@overdrive.com. For more information about OverDrive, please visit www.overdrive.com. For more information about the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, please visit www.ala.org/offices/oitp. 12 of 12