This report discusses the findings of a survey by Springer of end users at five institutions to ascertain how they use ebooks and what they think of them.
The majority of users were aware of them (52-84%) and had used them at least once (58-80%). Users didn't always get to these ebooks via their library catalogue - many found them somewhere on the Internet, eg by using Google Book Search. They accessed these ebooks with 50-100% of the frequency with which they accessed online journals.
Most users accessed ebooks on a weekly or monthly basis, primarily for research or study rather than for leisure or teaching.
Age of an ebook's content appears to have little impact on usage levels.
Users liked the ease of finding and accessing an ebook (compared to print). They also liked being able to do keyword searches of ebooks for relevant content. The portability of ebooks was also an advantage.
Having to read on the screen was seen as a disadvantage, especially if reading cover to cover. However, when searching for specific information ebooks did have the edge.
Ebooks complement print books - both have a place, depending on needs, and print won't disappear soon.
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