Readers want books available wherever they are
By Jimmie Epling, Director, Darlington County Library System
It should come as no surprise that with today’s technology you can easily read or listen to a story by your favorite author, browse a collection of recipes, catch up on the latest headlines, or peruse a magazine for the latest fashion trend anywhere and at any time. The Darlington County Library System’s goal is to provide readers what they want to read regardless of the format or their “container.”
With more ways to read or listen to a story than ever before, a recent Pew Institute survey surprised many when it found that in 2016 the number of Americans who had read a book in any format had remained unchanged since 2012 at 73%. Also surprising, the average number of books read per year remained steady since 2012 at 12.
What does this mean for the Darlington County Library System? First, we recognize what our customers read comes in two basic formats: print and electronic.
We are all familiar with print. It has been with us for millennia. Originally a laborious task done by hand on stone, clay, vellum, metal plates, and papyrus. With the advent of the printing press and pulp paper, it became relatively fast and easy to spread the printed word. A print book can also contain a simple black and white line drawing or the vibrant colors of an art gallery’s complete collection. Of those who have read a book in the last year, about two thirds read a print book. A significant portion, 38%, noted they are print book only readers!
Books reigned supreme as the way to preserve and disseminate the printed word until the early 21st century as electronic devices like e-readers, tablets, and smartphones offered another format for print. These devices have become popular because they were portable, easy to use, and affordable. You can get an electronic version of nearly everything you may wish to read and listen to through a library or by purchasing it. Electronic devices allow you to carry a virtual library in your pocket. You can to quickly adjust what you see or hear for your viewing and listening pleasure as an individual. The only drawback with these wonderful tools is their battery life and the need for electricity to power them.
The number of readers accessing e-books has changed significantly. Over the last five years, the number of Americans who reported reading an e-book on a tablet increased nearly fourfold and smartphone reading more than doubled. What is mysterious is that after years of predicting the demise of print books in favor of e-books by readers, e-book readership has seen no change in the last two years as 28% of Americans reported reading an e-book in the last year.
For libraries, an eye-opening finding of the report was just 44% of those surveyed were aware that their local public libraries even offered e-books! Nearly all public libraries now offer e-book lending. This can be attributed in part to a lack of marketing of e-books by libraries.
Another problem for library has been that major publishers are reluctance to embrace e-book lending in libraries. All of the major publishers allow library e-book lending, but such practices as high prices (more than a print book), expiration dates (one year), and lend limits (26 lends) have kept the growth of library e-book lending in check. High prices and usage limitations have an impact on what a library can offer within its budget.
Why the lack of growth in reading with so many new ways to get what you want to read? The technology that brought so many new opportunities to read has also delivered a dizzying amount of electronic media that does not require a degree of active attention and engagement, such as video and audio recordings. This media makes few demands on it audience, requiring no more than passive participation. Reading requires a level of committed attention, engagement, and skill, which comes from education, that listening and viewing does not.
What insights do these survey results provide the staff at the Darlington County Library System? We need to look at creating new collections and add to our existing collections those things people want to read. What we provide must be available in a format, print or electronic, and available in the “container” of choice by our customers, a printed book or electronic device, wherever they are! Readers want convenience and ease of use.
To discover all the Library has to offer, visit our website at www.darlington-lib.org or friend us on Facebook.