[Web4lib] PRESS RELEASE: Springer survey uncovers additional facts on eBooks use

[Timmerman, Angela, Springer SBM NL]

PRESS RELEASE

Springer survey uncovers additional facts on eBooks use

New York/Heidelberg, 24 September 2008

A survey conducted by Science+Business Media (www.springer.com), the
world's largest science, technology and medical book publisher, in
conjunction with five leading academic institutions, highlights
prominent research and academic usage of eBooks.  The survey was
conducted to better understand the adoption of eBooks, the use of
eBooks, and user perception of eBook advantages and disadvantages. 

The new survey revealed that, despite the recent emergence of eBooks,
most users were already aware of their existence and had used them at
least once, whether through libraries or other sources.  The study also
found that most users access eBooks for research and study purposes and
that the types of eBooks frequently used were reference works and
textbooks.

The survey also focused on some of the perceived advantages of eBooks,
citing the ability to gain 24/7 access for multiple users, convenient
full-text searchability, and easy access to information.  However,
difficulty of reading books from a screen and preference for traditional
print books were cited as the primary disadvantages. 

Participating university libraries included: University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign; University of Turku, Finland; Centre for Mathematics
and Computer Science (CWI) Amsterdam, the Netherlands; University of
Muenster, Germany; and the JRD Tata Memorial Library, Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore, India.

"Mostly the advantage of using eBooks would be their convenience," said
a user at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  "Instead of going
through the hassle of tracking down a specific work and checking it out,
eBooks provide me with easy access to the information I need way at my
own convenience and leisure."

Added Olaf Ernst, President eProduct Management & Innovation, Springer,
"The survey results show that eBooks are best suited for research
purposes or in a search environment.  eBooks have the potential to
stimulate new forms of book content usage. The feedback provided in this
survey can help us accommodate their needs as their eBook collections
grow."

In 2007 Springer Science+Business Media commissioned a survey which
revealed that the Springer eBook program was widely accepted among
librarians. 

The full-text PDF of the white paper, "eBooks - The End User
Perspective" can be found at: www.springer.com/ebooks.

Springer (www.springer.com) is the world's second largest journal
publisher in the STM (Science, Technology, Medicine) sector and the
largest supplier of STM books.  It is part of Springer Science+Business
Media, one of the internationally leading suppliers of scientific and
specialist literature.  The company publishes more than 1,700 journals,
over 5,500 new books a year and the world's largest collection of STM
eBooks. The group has some 5,000 employees working in offices in more
than 20 countries in Europe, the USA and Asia.


Contact: renate.bayaz at springer.com, Springer Corporate Communications,
+49 6221-487-8531;