From the UK: e-Book Readers in a "Mobile Friendly" Academic Library
A post on the LiveSerials blog (from UKSG) discusses a pre-study/survey at Open University (in conjunction with Cranfield University) about e-book readers.
Notes
Pilot study consisted of 12 students.
Students were given a "mixture" of Sony Readers and iPod Touch devices to use for three months.
Note: The report points out that the Kindle (and obviously the iPad) were not available in Europe when this study was taking place.
Start-up workshops were conducted on how to download books etc.
Less than half the participants had used e-books at all before the project, and those who had used them had only done so on PC/laptops. Participants hoped e-books would help save paper, be more portable and lightweight than books and help them find things more easily.
The post continues with lists of strengths and weaknesses for each device
Survey findings Include:
+ Students used the devices for more than school work (music, games, etc.)
The students said it was tricky to get content onto the devices, and use for study was difficult even for tech-savvy users: they were lukewarm about idea of borrowing e-readers from the library.
Selected Conclusions
They [e-Book readers] will only play a part in how people study, not replace textbooks altogether
Potential role for libraries in facilitating and guiding students to e-book content, and also negotiating better licence agreements for commercial e-book content
Students' wish list for an ideal ebook reader would be
* Screen A4-A5 size
* Touch screen
* Ability to highlight/make notes
* Internet access
* Easier to transfer content quickly direct to device
* Lower retail price
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