Electronic Books: An Online Survey by Queens College

[Pui Tsang]

Project Title: In the Merge of Screen and Paper: Examination of Electronic 
Book and Its Library Applications

Project Director: Dr. Colleen Cool, Professor, Graduate School of Library 
and Information Studies, Queens College, City University of New York 
(contact at 718 997 3790 or e-mail: ccool at qcunix1.qc.edu)

Research Investigator: Pui Tsang, Graduate Student, Graduate School of 
Library and Information Studies, Queens College, CUNY (email: 
ptsang1934 at hotmail.com)

You are being asked to participate in a research project conducted through 
Queens College CUNY. The research investigator would like to study the 
potentials, both benefits and weaknesses of Electronic Books and Electronic 
Books Readers/ Reading Appliances. The research investigator would also like 
to study how librarians and information professionals view about Electronic 
Books and other related issues.

The results of your participation will be kept confidential to the fullest 
extent permitted by law. Only information that cannot be traced to you will 
be used in reports done by the research investigator Pui Tsang.

The questionnaire will take about 15 minutes to complete. Your participation 
in this research project is completely voluntary. You may decide to stop 
participating in this project at any time without penalty. You are free to 
leave at any time.

Please reply the questionnaire by sending to ptsang1934 at hotmail.com

Questionnaire  (Please mark an "X" on the preferred answers)

Part One	Information About Yourself      (Please Check One only)

1. Are you currently working at a library or information center?
_______Yes
_______No, I am a faculty member of Library and Information Science
_______None of the above (you may stop the survey here)

2. How would you describe yourself about your job?
_______Full time professional employee
_______Full time paraprofessional employee
_______Full time non-professional employee
_______Part time professional employee
_______Part time paraprofessional employee
_______Part time non-professional employee
_______Other, please specify

3. How many years have you worked in a library setting?
______0-1 year
______2-5 years
______6-10 years
______10 years and over

4. Do you have a MLS degree?
______Yes
______No
______I am currently enrolled in a MLS program
______Other, please specify________________________________

5. What types of library are you currently working?
_____Academic/research library
_____School media
_____Public library
_____Special library, please specify____________________________

6. In which areas at the library you are currently working? (Please check 
all apply)
_____Acquisitions/Collection development
_____Administration
_____Circulation/Access Services
_____Information Services
_____Library Automation
_____Library Maintenance
_____Library Systems
_____Reference
_____Technical services/Bibliographic Controls
_____Web Page Maintenance
_____Others, please specify________________________________

7. How often do you read articles on computer screen, i.e. Internet, CD-ROM, 
and Palm Pilot?
______On daily basis
______Often
______Every now and then
______Barely
______Never

8. How often do you read books on computer screen, i.e. Internet, CD-ROM, 
and Palm Pilot?
_______On daily basis
_______Often
_______Every now and then
_______Barely
_______Never

Part Two	 Survey on Electronic Books and Electronic Book Readers  (Please 
Check All Apply)

1. Before the survey, have you heard of the term "Electronic Books"?
_______Yes
_______No (You may stop this survey from here)
_______Not sure

2. To your best understanding, what is an "Electronic Book"?
________Book on the Web/ Online Book
________Electronic book devices/readers
________eBooks
________Books you may download on a computer screen
________Other, please specify___________________________________
________Don't know what it is

3. Have you ever read a book on your computer or laptop?
________Yes
________No
________Other, please specify____________________________

4. At the library where you are working, do you and your colleagues ever 
discuss electronic books and other related issues?
_______Yes
_______No
_______Can't remember

5. Have you ever read an article about Electronic Books?
_______Yes
_______No
_______Can't remember

6. From where?
_______Print Sources: Newspaper and magazines
_______Other Media, e.g. TV program, Radio
_______Academic journal, in library science oriented
_______Academic journal, but not library science oriented
_______Internet
_______Other, please specify______________________________

7. Does your library where you work provide access to Electronic Books via 
the library Web site?
________Yes
________No
________Don't Know

8. Do you know any library that is currently providing access to Electronic 
Books via World Wide Web?
_______Yes, can you name some names of them? _________________________
_______No

9. Do you know any Web site that specifically provides access to Electronic 
Books?
________Yes, can you name some names of them? ______________________
_______No
_______Can't remember, can you describe them? 
______________________________________________________________________

10. Does your library where you work is lending Electronic Book 
Readers/Devices to their users?
________Yes
________No
________Don't Know

11. Have you ever seen an Electronic Book Reader/Device?
_______Yes
_______No

12. Have you ever used an Electronic Book Reader/Device?
_______Yes
_______No, please go to Question 14.

13. How do you describe your impression, in general, of using an Electronic 
Book Reader/Device?
_________Excellent
_________Okay
_________Not very good
_________Other, please specify__________________________________

14.  Have you ever heard of the following brand names of the Electronic Book 
Reader/Device?
_________NuvoMedia's Rocket eBook
_________SoftBook Press' SoftBook
_________Everybook, Inc.'s Everybook Dedicate Reader
_________Librius' Millennium Ebook,
_________FXPAL's Xlibris
_________Other, please specify_________________________________

15.  How important are Electronic Book Readers right now in a library 
setting?
__________Very Important
__________Somewhat important
__________Not Important
__________Other, please specify_____________________________

16.  How important are Electronic Book Readers for the future of libraries, 
i.e. five years from now?
__________Indispensable
__________Very Important
__________Somewhat important
__________Not Important
__________Other, please specify_____________________________

17.  How important are Online Books right now in a library setting?
__________Very Important
__________Somewhat important
__________Not Important
__________Other, please specify_____________________________

18.  How important are Online Books for the future of libraries, i.e.
five years from now?
__________Indispensable
__________Very Important
__________Somewhat important
__________Not Important
__________Other, please specify_____________________________

19. If any, what is/are the advantage(s) of reading an Electronic Book 
instead of Print Book?
__________Price
__________Personalization
__________Readability
__________Portability
__________Effectiveness
__________Other, please specify______________________
__________None of the above

20. If any, what is/are the disadvantage(s) of reading an Electronic Book 
instead of Print Book?
__________Limited Collection
__________Readability
__________Price
__________Inconvenience
__________Other, please specify______________________
__________None of the above

21. In which of the following statements you would agree in terms of using 
Electronic Books?
1 Strongly Agree
2 Somewhat Agree
3 Neutral
4 Somewhat Disagree
5 Strongly Disagree

______________"Electronic book and the paper will reach a balance, and 
people will use both for different things."
______________"Electronic book will be a significant part of our 
collections, but that time is not yet."
______________"Electronic book will one day be as ubiquitous as paper books 
are today."
______________" Electronic book presents many opportunities for serving 
library customers in new, convenient and cost-effective ways."
______________"Electronic book readers represent a reasonable alternative 
method for disseminating and reading information."
_______________"The present and near-future technology is incapable of 
producing a readable, durable, and inexpensive electronic book."
_______________"Libraries who buy electronic book readers will waste funds 
and will not satisfy the users."
_______________"Effortless downloading Electronic Books could lead users to 
bypass libraries."
________________"Existing electronic book and products compare quite 
unfavorably to libraries."


End of the questionnaire.
Thank you very much for your participation. If you have any questions, 
please also send me a message at ptsang1934 at hotmail.com.



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