Book format ROI study

This 2025 study focused on bestsellers and other notable books to provide a fairly accurate picture of what librarians face when selecting and maintaining digital content. In comparing print and ebook formats, researchers found that “The data forces us to conclude, reluctantly, that not only does print still offer libraries a far better bang-per-book than digital, but that for most popular titles, digital collections are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Some smaller and independent publishers are, however, now more likely to be present in the market and offer some hope for long-term and cost-effective holdings.”

Blackwell, M. et al. (2025). Ebook availability, licensing, and pricing in Canada and the U.S. Computers in Libraries, 45(6).

https://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/jul25/Blackwell-Halperin-Mason-Parker--Ebook-Availability-Licensing-and-Pricing-in-Canada-and-the-US-A-Follow-Up-Study.shtml

 "An Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study across approximately 30 countries found that teens who said they most often read paper books scored considerably higher on a 2018 reading test taken by 15-year-olds compared to teens who said they rarely or never read books. Even among students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds, those who read books in a paper format scored a whopping 49 points higher on the Program for International Student Assessment, known as PISA. That’s equal to almost 2.5 years of learning. By comparison, students who tended to read books more often on digital devices scored only 15 points higher than students who rarely read  – a difference of less than a year’s worth of learning." (from KQED).

Ikeda, M. and G. Rech (2022), "Does the digital world open up an increasing divide in access to print books?", PISA in Focus, No. 118, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/54f9d8f7-en.

ebooks versus print books research

"Ebooks have surged in popularity since the pandemic began, however, new research led by Natalia Kucirkova, professor of Early Childhood and Development at the University of Stavanger in Norway and Open University, found that young children were less likely to understand ebooks unless they had effective enhancements. “We found a negative impact of digital books on children’s (ages 1-8) learning when comparing digital and print books, mirroring the results of meta-analyses with adult readers,” Kucirkova says. But her research also demonstrated that when it comes to childhood reading not all digital books are equal. 'Our results are significantly moderated by the design of the tested digital books and may reflect the rather low quality of enhancements in the digital books available for young children.'” (excerpted from Ofgang, Dec. 10, 2021, Tech & Learning)

Furenes, M. I., Kucirkova, N., & Bus, A. G. (2021). A comparison of children’s reading on paper versus screen: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 91(4), 483-517. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3102/0034654321998074

And earlier research: Kucirkova, N., & Littleton, K. (2016). The digital reading habits of children. A National Survey of Parents’ Perceptions of and Practices in Relation to Children’s Reading for Pleasure with Print and Digital Books. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Kucirkova/publication/299563417_The_digital_reading_habits_of_children/links/56ff879508aee995dde79844/The-digital-reading-habits-of-children.pdf

Reading on and offline research

 "This meta-analysis examines the inconsistent findings across experimental studies that compared children’s learning outcomes with digital and paper books. We quantitatively reviewed 39 studies reported in 30 articles (n = 1,812 children) and compared children’s story comprehension and vocabulary learning in relation to medium (reading on paper versus on-screen), design enhancements in digital books, the presence of a dictionary, and adult support for children aged between 1 and 8 years. The comparison of digital versus paper books that only differed by digitization showed lower comprehension scores for digital books. Adults’ mediation during print books’ reading was more effective than the enhancements in digital books read by children independently. However, with story-congruent enhancements, digital books outperformed paper books. An embedded dictionary had no or negative effect on children’s story comprehension but positively affected children’s vocabulary learning." The researchers also noted that Researchers also found that most of the commercially published e-books explored in the studies didn’t enhance the text in ways that focused children’s attention as adults naturally would when reading a story to a child, such as pointing out main story elements, asking questions, and focusing children’s attention on the chain of events in a story. 

 

Furenes, M., Kucirkova, N., & Bus, A. (2021). A comparison of children's reading on paper versus screen: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 91(4). 

https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321998074

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0034654321998074

Print vs. Online Reading Meta-Analysis

 A recent meta-analysis found that children ages 1 to 8 were less likely to understand picture books if they read the ebook version instead of the print version, but only when the ebook didn't have effective enhancements. For the analysis, researchers examined more than 39 studies involving more than 1,800 children. Though generally print picture books outperformed their digital counterparts in terms of reader comprehension, if the ebooks contained enhancements that reinforced story content not only did the print advantage go away but students learned more. Adults’ mediation during print books’ reading was more effective than the enhancements in digital books read by children independently. However, with story-congruent enhancements, digital books outperformed paper books. An embedded dictionary had no or negative effect on children’s story comprehension but positively affected children’s vocabulary learning.

Furenes, M., Kucirkova, Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321998074

https://www.aera.net/Newsroom/A-Comparison-of-Childrens-Reading-on-Paper-Versus-Screen-A-Meta-Analysis   

Digital content survey

Conducted online among ASCD members, this report aimed to collect information in order to better understand the usage and attitudes toward digital content in the classroom and school library in 2019. This 2019 study focuses on current usage habits and future plans, as well as administrators' mindsets as they make their decisions on digital content going forward.
Digital content report. (2019). Alexandria, VA: ASCD. 
http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/white-papers-library/overdrive-ascd-download.aspx?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OverDriveStudy1-092519&utm_content=Button

Digital vs Paper Reading Study

A survey of education studies shows students tend to absorb more on paper than on screen, though the benefits are minor. The studies showed that students of all ages, from elementary school to college, tend to absorb more when they’re reading on paper than on screens, particularly when it comes to nonfiction material. This finding is now at least the third study to synthesize reputable research on reading comprehension in the digital age and find that paper is better. It was preceded by a 2017 review by scholars at the University of Maryland and a 2018 meta-analysis by scholars in Spain and Israel. The international analysis arrived at nearly the same numerical conclusion as the other study. Paper beat screens by more than a fifth of a standard deviation.
Clinton, V. (2019). Reading from paper compared to screens. Journal of Research in Reading, 42(2), 288-325. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12269

YAs use of ebooks study

An online survey distributed to librarians at public libraries across North America established some interesting trends in public librarians’ perceptions of ebooks and teens. Some of the findings of this study are that teen library users strongly prefer to read print books for their recreational reading and show very little interest in ebooks or ebook programs offered by public libraries.Even when public librarians offer ebook programs for teens through school outreach, these programs tend to focus on the titles in the collection and the download process, rather than the specific benefits of ebook reading. More active promotion of these advantages could potentially appeal to teens, especially to non-library users and reluctant readers.

Gray, R., & Howard, V. (2017). Young adult use of ebooks: An analysis of public library services and resources. Public Library Quarterly, 1-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2017.1316149

US school ebook usage survey

This survey notes the increasing foothold of ebooks in K12 schools and their libraries, largely due to etextbooks and 1:1 laptop programs. The report also mentions the advantages of ebooks.
Collette, M. (2015). Getting to E. School Library Journal, 61(9), 28-31.  
http://www.slj.com/2015/09/technology/getting-to-e-the-state-of-the-school-ebook-market/

School libraries and eboo survey

E-book usage is slowly growing among school libraries, with elementary schools showing the largest usage rates of one book for every three students, according to a report from the School Library Journal. Findings from the survey of 835 school libraries indicate that limited access to e-readers was the top reason schools are slow to adopt e-books, and iPads were the top devices used for reading.
School Library Journal. (2014). Ebook Usage in U.S. School (K–12) Libraries. 
http://www.slj.com/2014/11/books-media/ebooks/ebooks-take-hold-slowly/#_
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/research/ebook-usage-u-s-school-k-12-libraries-2014-report/

Elending background paper

The publishing industry has firmly embraced making the vast majority of their titles available for elending to libraries in the United States. The Big Five have either initiated a major pilot project or have committed themselves to a broad rollout. With all of the news primarily focused on the US, what does the landscape look like for the rest of the world? A new research report addresses some of these queries.
IFLA. (2014). Elending background paper.
http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/hq/topics/e-lending/documents/2014_ifla_elending_background_paper.pdf

State of libraries report

This annual report details library trends of the past year. Included in the report are trends associated with academic, public, and school libraries; ebooks and copyright issues; social networking; library construction; legislative issues; and intellectual freedom.
American Library Association. (2014). 2014 state of America's libraries. Chicago: ALA.
http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/issue/state-americas-libraries-2014
 

Library perceptions studies

The Pew Research Center’s studies about libraries and where they fit in the lives of their communities and patrons have uncovered some surprising facts about what Americans think of libraries and the way they use them.
- Those ages 65 and older are less likely to have visited a library in the past 12 months than those under that age.
- Although 10% of Americans have never used a library, they think libraries are good for their communities.
- E-book reading is rising but just 4% of Americans are “e-book only” readers.
- Those who read both e-books and printed books prefer reading in the different formats under different circumstances.
-  Those who use libraries are more likely than others to be book buyers and actually prefer to buy books, rather than borrow them.
- Many patrons are comfortable with the idea of getting recommendations from librarians based on their previous book-reading habits.
Rainie, L. (2014). 7 surprises about libraries in our surveys. Pew Research Center.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/30/7-surprises-about-libraries-in-our-surveys/

Children's reading habits studies

According to a new study, 67% of US children aged 2–13 are now reading ebooks. That’s up from 54%, the number recorded in a similar study from 2013. Some 92% of the kids who do read ebooks read them at least once a week, with many of them reading ebooks every day.

Despite tight budgets that have compounded the numerous challenges to implementation, media specialists are ‘generally enthusiastic about the continued adoption of ebooks by their students, and usage in school libraries—especially at the high school level—is expected to continue rising incrementally, according to an annual survey, the fourth of its kind.
 
Bryant, A. (2014).What a Difference a Year Makes: Kids and E-Reading Trends 2012-13. Digital Book World. http://store.digitalbookworld.com/what-difference-a-year-makes-childrens-report-t3592

The ABCs ofkids and ebooks. (2014).Digital Book World. 

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/new-report-from-digital-book-world-54-of-u-s-children-reading-ebooks

2013 Survey of Ebook Usage in U.S. School (K–12) Libraries. (2014).  School Library Journal.
 http://www.thedigitalshift.com/research/ebook-usage-u-s-school-k-12-libraries-2013-report/

Ebook study

A recent reprrt found that 78% of adults read a book in the past year, and 14% of these readers borrowed the most recent book they read from a library. ALA President Molly Raphael noted, “Much of the report confirms trends to which we’ve been eyewitnesses: Four times the number of people report reading ebooks on a typical day now compared with only two years ago." The research also suggests that more formats (print, audio and electronic options) are a boon for power readers. The average reader of e-books has read more books in the past 12 months that those who read only in print. And 30 percent of those who read e-content (including long-form digital content such as e-books, news articles, magazines and journals) now spend more time reading, and this figure is even higher for people who own e-readers and tablets. Of great concern, though, are findings that there is a significant gap in those who have read an e-book in the last year versus those who did not based on level of education and income (34 percent of those who read an e-book had some college education, compared to 19 percent of high school graduates or less education; and 38 percent of those with household incomes greater than $75,000 had read an e-book, compared with 20 percent of those with incomes less than $30,000), and that fewer people overall are reading books. The percentage of adults who said they had NOT read a book in the last year or did not answer the question is 22 percent – which is greater than the percentage of adults who read an e-book. This compares to past Gallup surveys about reading in which 17 percent of adults did not answer the question or reported not reading in the past year in 2005, or 12 percent who reported this was the case in 1978, when the first Gallup survey took place.
Another issue to watch is the availability of e-content. While a majority reports they find e-content in the format they want, 23 percent say the material they want is “only sometimes,” “hardly ever” or never available.
Pew Internet and American Life Project. (2012). The Rise of E-Reading. Washington, DC: Author.
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/

E-readership doubles in six months

The share of adults in the United States who own an e-book reader doubled to 12% in May, 2011 from 6% in November 2010. E-readers, such as a Kindle or Nook, are portable devices designed to allow readers to download and read books and periodicals. This is the first time since the Pew Internet Project began measuring e-reader use in April 2009 that ownership of this device has reached double digits among U.S. adults.

Tablet computers—portable devices similar to e-readers but designed for more interactive web functions—have not seen the same level of growth in recent months. In May 2011, 8% of adults report owning a tablet computer such as an iPad, Samsung Galaxy or Motorola Xoom. This is roughly the same percentage of adults who reported owning this kind of device in January 2011 (7%), and represents just a 3 percentage-point increase in ownership since November 2010. Prior to that, tablet ownership had been climbing relatively quickly.

2011, Pew Internet Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP_eReader_Tablet.pdf

Library Use of eBooks, 2011 Edition

The report presents 145 pages of data and commentary on a broad range of eBook issues, including: spending on eBooks in 2010 and anticipated spending for 2011; use levels of various kinds of eBooks; market penetration by various specific eBook publishers; extent of use of aggregators vs offering by specific publishers; purchasing of individual titles; use of various channels of distribution such as traditional book jobbers and leading retail/internet based booksellers; use of eBooks in course reserves and interlibrary loan; impact of eBooks on print book spending; use of eBooks in integrated search; price increases for eBooks; contract renewal rates for eBooks; use of special eBook platforms for smartphones and tablet computers; spending plans and current use of eBook reader such as Nook, Reader and Kindle; the role played by library consortia in eBooks;

Just a few of the study's many findings are that: impact of iPad and mobile computing on eBooks; spending on eDirectories and more.

Primary Research Group, Nov 2010, http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/3e52fb/library_use_of_ebooks_2011_edition

Report: eBook issues

The report presents 145 pages of data and commentary on a broad range of eBook issues, including: spending on eBooks in 2010 and anticipated spending for 2011; use levels of various kinds of eBooks; market penetration by various specific eBook publishers; extent of use of aggregators vs offering by specific publishers; purchasing of individual titles; use of various channels of distribution such as traditional book jobbers and leading retail/internet based booksellers; use of eBooks in course reserves and interlibrary loan; impact of eBooks on print book spending; use of eBooks in integrated search; price increases for eBooks; contract renewal rates for eBooks; use of special eBook platforms for smartphones and tablet computers; spending plans and current use of eBook reader such as Nook, Reader and Kindle; the role played by library consortia in eBooks.
Research and Markets, 2010, Library Use of eBooks, 2011 Edition

Ebook report

This new study examines trends and developments in the eBooks and eReaders market in the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany, and discusses major challenges and key questions for the publishing industry worldwide. It also identifies market opportunities and developments for eBooks and eReaders, and makes recommendations for publishers, traditional retailers, online retailers, and intermediaries.
PriceWaterhouse. (2011). Turning the page; the future of ebooks.
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/entertainment-media/publications/future-of-ebooks.jhtml

Ebook report

Survey: Most teachers pay out of pocket for e-books
The price of electronic books and e-readers may be keeping many teachers from using them in the classroom, according to a recent survey. A report found that school librarians were more likely to use e-books because, in most cases, they were paid for by the school. However, among teachers who purchased e-books, 70% say they had to pay for the books themselves.
Fredricks, J. (2010). eBooks: K-12 Educators' Usage and Attitudes. Egremont.
http://www.dedicatedteacher.com/estore/product/EGR0001