Mary Anne Mendola Franco's survey of eBooks in Connecticut libraries.

1. Statewide eBook Symposium
February 28, 2014

2. 
Responses (98) received from:
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Public Libraries (70%)
Elementary School Libraries (3%)
Middle School Libraries (2%)
High School Libraries (9%)
Academic Libraries (11%)
Other (5%)
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State Courthouse Law Library System
Social Library
Private Library
PreK-12 Libraries (2)

3. 
Populations Served:
◦ Less than 10,000 (47%)
◦ 10,000-24,999 (25%)
◦ 25,000-49,999 (16%)
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Areas Served:
◦ Suburban (58%)
◦ Rural (22.5%)
◦ Urban (19.5%)

4. 
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OverDrive (76%)
EBSCO (17%)
Baker & Taylor (8%)
3M (3%)
Other vendors: Freading, Ebrary, Recorded Books, FolletShelf,
Gale, Oxford University Press, ProjectMUSE, Cambridge, Springer, Wiley,
Project Gutenberg, Credo, EBL, Yankee Book Peddler, Ingram/Coutts,
ASHP, Science Direct, McGraw Hill, R2 Library, USP-NF, STAT-Ref,
Amazon, Marshal Cavendish, Davidson, Nook Books, Facts on File, Salem
Press, ACLS Humanities, Rosen, Questia, and Books 24x7

5. 
Most libraries have had access to eBooks for:
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1-3 years (63%)
4-6 years (17%)
Over 6 years (12%)
Less than one year (8%)
Size of Collections:
◦ 5,000 or more eBooks (32%)
◦ 2,500-4,999 (24%)
◦ 1,000-2,499 (21%)

6. 
Patrons are using:
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Dedicated eReaders (63%)
Tablets (62%)
Smartphones (35%)
Computers (35%)
Libraries are lending eReaders:
◦ To take home (43%)
◦ In library use (5%)

7. 
Types of eReaders in Use:
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Kindle eInk (68%)
Nook eInk (49%)
Kindle Fire Tablet (38%)
iPad/iPad Mini (35%)
Nook Tablet (35%)
No. of eReaders in Use:
◦ 6-15 eReaders (49%)
◦ 5 or fewer eReaders (49%)

8. 
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Libraries lending eReaders preloaded with
eBooks (64%)
Libraries permitting borrowers to download
books themselves (8%)
Combination of above two scenarios (28%)
Most libraries do not plan to acquire more
eReaders next year (73%)
Others plan to acquire more tablets (15%),
replace broken devices (12%) or acquire more
dedicated eReaders (10%)

9. 
Discoverability:
◦ eBooks are discoverable in most catalogs (69%)
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Holds-to-Copy Ratios
◦ Many libraries do not have a holds-to-copy ratio for
eBooks (61%)
◦ For libraries with holds-to-copy ratios, the ratios
are:
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7:1
5:1
3:1
8:1
2:1
(13%)
(13%)
(5.5%)
(2%)
(2%)

10. 
Since this time last year, eBook demand has:
◦ Greatly increased (33%)
◦ Slightly increased (51%)
◦ Not changed (13%)
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In the current fiscal year, libraries believe
eBook usage will:
◦ Increase (77.5%)
◦ Remain the same (22.5%)

11. 
Demand for eBooks is measured by most
libraries (88%):
◦ Statistically (74%)
◦ Anecdotally (26%)
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Percentage of circulation attributable to
eBooks:
◦ Mostly up to 10 percent (73%)
◦ 11-25 percent (5%)

12. 
In current fiscal year, library budgets for
eBooks have:
◦ Remained the same (47%)
◦ Increased (41%)
◦ Decreased (5%)
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In last fiscal year, approximate percentage of
materials budgets attributable to eBooks was:
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1-5% (59%)
6-10% (23%)
11-15% (5%)
More than 15% (3%)

13. 
Approximate percentage of current materials
budgets attributable to eBooks is:
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1-5% (62%)
6-10% (23%)
11-15% (5%)
More than 15% (4%)
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1-5% (24%)
6-10% (35%)
11-15% (19%)
More than 15% (19%)
Libraries predict that in 5 years, approximate
percentage of materials budgets attributable to
eBooks will be:

14. 
In current fiscal year, libraries expect to
spend on eBooks:
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$1,000-$4,999 (36%)
Less than $1,000 (17%)
$10,000-$14,999 (10%)
$5,000-$9,999 (8%)
$30,000 or more (6%)
50% of libraries have reallocated funds from
other areas of budget to pay for eBooks; 50%
have not reallocated funds

15. 
In a perfect world, preferred methods of
access for eBooks would be:
◦ Downloaded with unlimited simultaneous access
(68%)
◦ Web-based access with unlimited simultaneous
access (67%)
◦ Downloaded with purchase of set number of CKOs
that can be used simultaneously (12.5%)
◦ Web-based access with purchase of set number of
CKOs that can be used simultaneously (11.5%)

16. 
Types of purchasing/licensing terms typically
received by libraries when acquiring eBooks
are:
Purchase with perpetual access (58%)
License with set number of CKOs (38%)
Subscription (36%)
Simultaneous use/access (32%)
Purchase with perpetual access through selfhosting (15%)
◦ Pay per use (10%)
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17. 
Libraries currently offer borrowers:
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General adult nonfiction (87%)
General adult fiction (77%)
Young adult fiction (68%)
Children’s fiction (68%)
Young adult nonfiction (60%)
Children’s nonfiction (52%)
Reference (38%)
Children’s picture books (33%)
Foreign language (24%)
Other: scholarly books, academic books,
educational books, and textbooks

18. 
Top three fiction categories:
◦ Adult bestsellers (76%)
◦ Adult general fiction (61%)
◦ Adult mystery (47%)
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Top three nonfiction categories:
◦ Adult bestsellers (61%)
◦ Adult biography/memoirs (45%)
◦ Adult history (25%)

19. 
eBooks are promoted primarily:
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On library websites (96%)
Signage in library (68%)
Word of mouth (61%)
Newsletters (55%)
Flyers (55%)
Social media (54%)

20. 
The most common things that keep patrons
from reading library eBooks:
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Limited titles available (70%)
Long wait times (64%)
Popular titles not available (61%)
Complex downloading process (47%)
Patrons unaware of eBook availability at library
(44%)

21. 
Concerns Expressed:
◦ “Library does not offer an eBook version of the title I
want to borrow”: Rarely (39%), Never (22%), Weekly (19%),
Monthly (17%)
◦ “Wait time to borrow eBooks at my library is too long”:
Never (28%), Rarely (27%), Weekly (23%), Monthly (17%)
◦ “I need help downloading eBooks to my device”: Weekly
(36%), Monthly (19%), Rarely (16%), Never (15%), Daily
(15%)
◦ “I am not a Town resident. Why can’t I borrow eBooks
from your library?”: Never (36%), Rarely (26%), Weekly
(19%), Monthly (18%)
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These patron concerns are tracked anecdotally
(96%) or statistically (4%)

22. 
Reasons why seven respondent libraries do
not offer eBooks:
◦ No money for eBooks (71%)
◦ Lack of technical support available from library staff
(43%)
◦ Waiting to see what the best platform will be (43%)
◦ No demand from users for eBooks (14%)
◦ Library is in process of adding eBooks (14%)
◦ Current eBook models are at odds with library
principles/philosophy (14%)

23. 
Plans for eBook purchases in next two years
for libraries that do not currently offer
eBooks:
◦ May purchase eBooks but it is not a priority (83%)
◦ eBooks will definitely be purchased (17%)
◦ eBooks will definitely NOT be purchased (0%)

24. 
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Price (84%)
Availability of titles (79%)
Difficulty in accessing/downloading (58%)
Lack of expertise among library staff (36%)
Lack of support from vendor (12%)

25. 
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Demand for eBooks will continue to increase
(see Demand for eBooks above)
Library budgets for eBooks will continue to
increase (see eBook Budgets above)
Greatest challenges faced by libraries
concerning eBooks:
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Price
Availability of titles
Complex downloading process
Lack of expertise among staff
Lack of support from vendor

26. Mary Anne Mendola Franco
Head of Network Services
Wilton Library Association, Inc.
137 Old Ridgefield Road
Wilton, CT 06897-3000
203-762-3950, Ext. 210
mamfranco@wiltonlibrary.org
www.wiltonlibrary.org
Follow us on Twitter: @wiltonlibrary
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