Student attitudes towards e-books at UW-Sheboygan, and what does it mean to us?

Transcription

1 Student attitudes towards e-books at UW-Sheboygan, and what does it mean to us? Jeff Ellair, Library Director WAAL Conference, April 24, 2013 UWC Library Council Brown Bag, May 14, 2013

2 The Questions Encounters at the reference desk have indicated a student acceptance level of e-books ranging from lukewarm to resistant (mostly resistant). This has left library staff wondering if purchasing increasing numbers of e-books would be the best use of limited acquisitions funding, despite the presumed advantages that the format offers. Survey/demonstration session to determine if the anecdotal responses at the reference desk are representative of student attitudes overall. What prior experience have students had with e-books, how do they feel about them and why?

3 Methodology Faculty volunteers to bring classes for session 8 faculty, 16 classes, 275 students (36% of campus headcount), Feb Split survey (Qualtrics) and demonstration: EBSCO ebooks (current holdings/vendor/access) Nook and ipad

4 1. How many semesters have you attended UW-Sheboygan, including the current semester? Answer Response % % % % % 5 or more 30 11% Total %

5 2. What is your age? 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 50% (Age 22+ : Enrolled=38%, Survey=27%) freshman/sophomore campus 37% 50% 2 lower HS quartiles 21% 22% 11% 13% 9% 8% 7% 5% 8% 4% 2% 2% Survey n=275 Enrolled n=770

6 3. 4. Device ownership or easy access, and frequent use. 80% 75% 73% (56%, n=154, have no tablet or ereader) 68% 70% (100% have laptop or desktop or tablet) 60% 49% 50% 40% 30% 21% 20% 14% 13% 13% 11% 9% 9% 10% 6% 6% 5% 6% 4% 3% 3% 2% 1% 1% 0% Own/ access Use often

7 5. Do you have high-speed Internet access at home? Answer Response % Yes % No 18 7% Not sure 6 2% Total %

8 6. Do you have Wi-Fi access at home? Answer Response % Yes % No 14 5% Not sure 5 2% Total % * 4% (n=10) replied both No to high-speed Internet and No to Wi-Fi.

9 7. Have you ever used e-books from UW-Sheboygan? Answer Response % Yes 16 6% No % Not sure 5 2% Total %

10 8. Was your use of e-books from UW- Sheboygan a positive experience, such that you would use e-books again? Answer Response % Yes 15 94% No 1 6%

11 9. What are the main reasons why you haven t used e-books from UW-S? Answer Response % Didn't know we had e-books % Never needed to find books or e-books resources for my class assignments % I prefer to use printed books or other sources instead 82 32% Didn t want to take time to figure out e-books 34 13% Never found any e-books for my topic 24 9% Didn t know if my instructor would accept e-books as a reliable source 15 6% Wasn t sure if I had compatible equipment to use the e-books 12 5% Couldn t get the e-books to work properly 1 0% Other: (don t know what e-books are) 6 2%

12 10. Have you ever used e-books from anywhere else (high school, public library, individual purchases, friends/relatives, etc.)? Answer Response % Yes 78 28% No % Not sure 20 7% Total %

13 10a. Have used e-books from elsewhere: percent of each age group 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 45% 45% 28% 31% 27% 22% 22% All

14 11. For what purposes did you use these e-books (from high school, public library, individual purchases,... Answer Response % (n=78) % (n=275) Leisure reading 57 73% 21% Schoolwork--assigned reading or course textbook Schoolwork--source material for research paper or project 32 41% 12% 20 26% 7% Last question before EBSCO ebooks demonstration

15 12. If you found both a relevant printed book and a relevant e-book in your search for resource material, which would you be more likely to use, and why? Answer Response % Printed book % e-book 62 23% Equally likely to use either format 99 36% Total %

16 12b. Percent of previous ebook users/non-users and tablet/ereader owners/non-owners who would use ebooks 30% 26% 29% % that would use ebooks 25% 20% 15% 10% 21% (64%) (28%) 18% (56%) (44%) No Yes 5% 0% Previously used ebooks elsewhere? Have tablet or ereader?

17 12b. Would use ebooks; own a tablet or ereader; and used other ebooks: by age 60% 55% 50% 40% 44% 45% 45% 43% 42% 40% 45% would use ebooks 30% 23% 28% 22% 31% 28% 27% 22% 27% own tablet or ereader 20% 10% 14% 13% 6% 9% have used other ebooks 0% All

18 12a. Would use printed book. Why? Answer (free-text replies) Response % (n=114; 41%) Prefer reading from paper, not computer screen 23 20% Printed books are easier to maneuver around and do what you want with them (e.g. note-taking) 20 18% It s what I m used to 17 15% I don t have an ereader or Internet access everywhere; I can use a print book anywhere Don t have to rely on technology which is sometimes unreliable 15 13% 15 13% Easier to check-out, or for longer loan period 5 4%

19 12b. Would use e-book. Why? Answer (free-text replies) Response % (n=62; 23%) Wouldn t have to carry around lots of physical books 14 23% Can easily access at home or elsewhere without going to the library 11 18% More convenient, easy to access (no detail provided) 10 16% Good highlighting, bookmarking, note-taking capabilities 9 15% Easier/faster to search/locate specific words or sections 8 13% Won t lose or forget to return book (fines) 7 11% Easier to find; don t have to search for book on the shelf 3 5%

20 12c. Equally likely to use either. Why? Answer (free-text replies) Response % (n=99; 36%) Depends on where I m doing my research (i.e. off-campus = e-book, on-campus = printed) 11 11% Format doesn t matter as long as I get what I need 8 8% Depends on how quickly I need it (?? 1 e.g. if in a rush and need it right now, more likely to use e-book) For extended reading, I prefer print; for researching specific information, e-book might work better Print and e-book both have advantages and disadvantages (no detail provided) 6 6% 5 5% 5 5%

21 14. If you found only e-books via your search, which action would you be more likely to take, and why? Answer Response % Use the relevant e-books % Keep searching until I found other resources instead, or else change my topic 42 15% Total %

22 14b. Keep searching or change topic (don t use e-books). Why? Answer (free-text replies) Response % (n=42) % (n=275) I don t like reading or using books from a computer screen; want the printed book Too many steps involved in using the e-books; too difficult to use, not sure how to use 11 26% 4% 6 14% 2%

23 16. If in your search you found both printed books that you could borrow from another campus (which would take 2-3 days to arrive), and e-books (which you could use immediately), which would you be more likely to do, and why? Answer Response % Use the e-books for my research % Request delivery of the other campus' books 19 7% Both use the e-books AND request delivery of the other campus' books Keep searching until I found other resources instead, or else change my topic 78 28% 9 3% Total %

24 16c. Use e-books AND request delivery of other books. Why? Answer (free-text replies) Response % (n=78) E-books could give me a good start right away while I wait for printed books (preferred) to arrive So I have printed books on the way as a back-up in case my use of the e-books didn t go well Printed books can be checked-out for a longer time period 21 27% 5 6% 5 6%

25 Worksheet for repeat visitors: Would you be likely to use the ebooks you found through these searches if you had any future class assignments on the topic? Answer Response % Yes 37 76% No 12 24% Total % *Note: Six of the 12 No responses were from the same class and all reported extremely slow network speed during the exercise: The largest difficulty was using the Internet! It was sooo incredibly slow that it is more efficient to go find a book than wait.

26 Worksheet: Would not use these ebooks in the future. Why not? Answer (free-text replies) Response % (n=12) I prefer printed books; don t like e-books (no detail) 7 58% Find it easier/more efficient to use printed books 2 17% Too hard to read from a computer screen 1 8% Concerned about possible Internet/technical problems 1 8% Don t own an ereader or have Internet everywhere I go 1 8%

27 Percent that would use e-books, from each question Question % If found both relevant printed book and relevant e-book in search * (does not include the 36% who said equally likely to use either format ) 23% * If found only e-books in search 85% If found both printed books from another campus, and e-books in search * (includes the 28% who would use e-books in combination with other campus s printed books) Would use e-books found through worksheet exercise if had future assignment on the selected topic 89% * 76%

28 18. What do you see as significant weaknesses of the e-book format? Answer Response % Need a computer, tablet or e-book reader to use it % More difficult to move around different parts of an e-book 99 36% More difficult to read an e-book 82 30% More difficult to mark or highlight specific information % More difficult to download an e-book to take it with me 77 28% None; I don t see any significant weaknesses of the e-book format 41 15% Other significant weaknesses (free-text): *Only one person can check-out at the same time (n=7); *ereader device battery must be charged (n=6); *Difficult to read onscreen (5); *Shorter check-out period (4); *Relies on Internet/speed of network (4)

29 19. What do you see as significant advantages of the e-book format? Answer Response % Can locate and use from off-campus/don t have to come to the library to get e-books Easier to search within an e-book and find the specific information I want Can use from my e-reader, tablet or computer/don t have to have the physical books % % % Easier to mark or highlight specific information % None; I don t see any significant advantages of the e-book format 13 5% Other significant advantages (free-text): *Less weight to carry around (n=5); *Able to look it up online and use it right away (2)

30 25. If you could check-out an e-book reader device from campus, would you be more likely to use e-books? Answer Response % Yes % No 79 29% Not sure 86 31% Total %

31 23. Would you prefer your course textbooks to be in printed or e-book format, and why? Answer Response % Print textbooks % e-book format textbooks % Total %

32 23a. Would prefer course textbooks to be in printed format. Why? Answer (free-text replies) Response % (n=175) I can take/use them anywhere; don t have to have tech device/connectivity in order to use them I like to highlight or write notes in my text to help me study (easier to do in printed text) Don t have to worry about not having access if there are technical problems 41 23% 21 12% 19 11% Prefer to read from book, not a screen 16 9% It s what I m used to; I know how to use it 9 5% Easier to use (no detail provided) 9 5%

33 23b. Would prefer course textbooks to be in e-book format. Why? Answer (free-text replies) Response % (n=100) Wouldn t have to carry around so many heavy books 49 49% They would probably be much less expensive 31 31% Wouldn t have to worry about losing or damaging my textbook 6 6% Easier to search through for the info I need 5 5% More environmentally-friendly (no paper) 5 5%

34 26. Please provide any other (n=88; 32%) comments you have about e-books: It seems unfair that only one person can use a book at a time. This is a computer, not a library. We shouldn t have to wait for books. It only makes it more inconvenient. (7) I really like the idea but will not go out of my way to use e-books over printed books. Either way contains the information I want to see. Not a huge fan right now but I m sure my opinion could change if I familiarized myself with them better. I think if this was my only option I would adjust. I like to stick with what I know. I m not big on change. Personally I think ebooks will be very popular with other students, but for me I prefer printed books. The best thing about them would be not having to come to the library to check out a book. If you are waiting til the last minute to do a paper it would be very helpful. Overall however I think the best possible way to do it is have a mix of both.

35 26. (continued) Please provide any other comments you have about e-books: I love it. I really like the e-book. A lot. E-books are like a double-edge sword. They could be a good thing and they could be a not so popular device. It seems to allow people to have quick access to the materials they want which is a good thing. I think they are a really good resource and I didn t really know about them until today. I will definitely put them to use and it will allow me to get more information than I would if I were only limited to printed books. I feel it s a good idea to have them but we should not limit ourselves to them. I believe that they have the potential to be very useful, but I really don t want them to replace printed books. It would be much more useful if we could just use both.

36 Definitive findings Higher acceptance level of e-books according to the survey than evidenced in our anecdotal experiences Student reactions are mixed Most students don t know we have e-books Very few students have used our e-books Most students recognize the advantage of immediate, 24/7, out-of-library access of e-books (though that doesn t necessarily allay their other concerns/preferences)

37 Advantages of e-books from a library management perspective Purchase Colleges-wide (cost/access efficiency) No processing, shelving No lost items, overdues Demand-Driven Acquisition (DDA) potential Support students remotely, 24/7 Is there a responsibility to expose students to e-books?

38 Plan for moving forward short-term Stay with EBSCO ebooks for now Begin moderately aggressive purchase of e- books as part of regular selections Especially if print held at another campus Consider purchase of both e- and print for likely high-use titles Lean toward e-book for titles of uncertain use *Dependent on availability of e-book for purchase *Driven by specific e- title prices

39 Plan for moving forward short-term Colleges-wide approach? Consider purchasing multiple-user copies? Reconsider check-out period? Spread word about e-books holdings Website revisions to note e-books Include ebooks within OPAC campus location limit BI & new student orientation: at least brief mention Faculty survey & share student results

40 Plan for moving forward short-term Strive for proactive instruction on how to use Faculty assistance needed: increased BI time, or out-of-class assignment with instructional video and/or worksheet Monitor usage Anecdotally See if/how e-book usage statistics increase Compare usage of print and e- where both formats owned Turnaway statistics E-book readers/tablets for check-out??

41 Plan for moving forward short-term Budgetary impact No discount from list prices (vs. 30% avg. discount for print, i.e. + $8000 in budget) No lower-cost paperback option, as often Possible multiple-user e-copies Currently avg. 700 new book purchases/yr. ($19k) But greater access Colleges-wide Investment to assess for future decisions Sample purchase orders study

42 72 # of titles (2 sample purchase orders) $2, total list price $1, total discount price paid 27% avg. percent discount on print orders 34 # of titles available as a 1-user ebook 47% titles available as a 1-user ebook 18 # of titles available as a 3-user ebook 25% titles available as a 3-user ebook 15 # of titles available as an Unlimited-user ebook 21% % of titles available as an Unlimited-user ebook 18 # available as a 1-user price 100% of list price (for cheapest binding) 25% available as a 1-user price 100% of list price (for cheapest binding) [high as 694%] 9 # available as a 3-user price 150% of list price (for cheapest binding) 13% available as a 3-user price 150% of list price (for cheapest binding) [high as 812%] $1, total discount cost for print, for those avail as 1-user ebooks $2, total cost for ebooks, for those available as 1-user ebooks 237% cost for the 1-user ebooks as a % of the discount cost for print 334% cost for the 3-user ebooks as a % of the discount cost for print $ total discount cost for print, for those avail as 1-user 100% price of list $ total cost for ebooks, for those avail as 1-user 100% price of list 128% cost for the 1-user ebooks as a % of the discount print cost, for those 100% price of list $ total discount cost for print, for those avail as 3-user 150% price of list $ total cost for ebooks, for those avail as 3-user 150% price of list 188% cost for the 3-user ebooks as a % of the discount print cost, for those 150% price of list

43 average annual expenditures for new book purchases $19,000 $20,500 average annual number of new book titles purchased 700 average cost per title $27.14 starting budget FY14 (acq $ +5%) rem budgt 27 total print & ebk titles average cost * 237% $64.33 cost 47% of 700 titles (all those avail as 1-user ebks) 329 *64.33 $21,164 -$664 average cost * 128% $ % of 700 titles (all those avail as 100% list $) 175 *34.74 $6,080 $14, average cost * 188% $ % of 700 titles (all those avail as 150% list $) 91 *51.03 $4,644 $15, average cost * 128% $34.74 other 12% of 700 (avail as 100% list $) 84 *34.74 $2,918 $12,

44 Plan for moving forward longer-term Monitor UW-System-wide developments Explore DDA options Explore other vendors Re-survey students

45 Questions/Discussion I d be happy to share any of my files or answer additional questions jeffrey.ellair@uwc.edu