Fast Stats: Studies, Statistics and News You Can Use

Print Vs. E: 
No verdict yet

Of the 14 percent of Americans who read both print and ebooks, an April 2012 study by the Pew Research Center found that 36 percent prefer ebooks, while just 24 percent prefer print—leaving some 40 percent without a preference. The results were drawn from the Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, which also found that most readers prefer printed books when reading to children and sharing aloud.

When reading in bed, the verdict was split: 45 percent say they prefer ebooks, while 43 percent say they like to lie back and relax with a good ol' p-book.

In general, most people who read both print and ebooks are in agreement about which format is most preferable for the situations presented (reading in bed being the one exception).

So which is better, a print book or an ebook? Stay tuned…

For more from the study, visit libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/
04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/

—Alexander Schwartz

Faculty, students 
don't see eye-to-eye 
on textbooks

With textbooks and higher education anticipated to become an increasingly hot topic this year, the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) and Bowker have released a study called Faculty Attitudes Toward Content In Higher Education (a potentially ongoing publication on the subject). The survey was developed as a companion to BISG's Student Attitudes Toward Content In Higher Education.

A comparison of both surveys illustrates two very different attitudes toward content. To wit:

• There is a discrepancy between what faculty and students report is "required" (as opposed to merely "recommended"). While 89 percent of faculty said that at least one textbook was required for their classes, only 73 percent of students thought their textbooks were required. While one could make the argument that these students simply suffer from "selective hearing," textbook publishers seem to be doing little to help the situation. Only 30 percent of faculty said they felt publishers were providing adequate information regarding format and price options for students.