E‐books: review of research and writing during 2010

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to review the literature dealing with e‐books to identify trends.Design/methodology/approachThe review is based on the literature published during January to December 2010. For this purpose, literature on e‐books was searched and retrieved from LISA, LISTA, Emerald, Science Direct and J‐store. E‐books, electronic books, digital books, e‐book reader, were the keywords used for searching the literature in these databases. The literature is analyzed and reviewed under various broad categories. Most of the literature reviewed is in English. Non‐English literature reported in the LISA is also considered.FindingsIn spite of the unconcluded debate of print versus electronic, popularity of e‐books is increasing and thereby the e‐book market is growing at a very fast pace. User friendliness, cost, portability are some of the reasons for the increased use of e‐books. Varieties of e‐book readers are produced with different features. Copyright and DRM are the challenging issues. New e‐book pricing models are evolving with their own merits and demerits. Libraries are carrying out e‐book usage studies and are adopting innovative practices to promote e‐books.Practical implicationsThe paper is useful for LIS researchers, practitioners, e‐book publishers and aggregators for understanding current trends and for framing prospective policies.Originality/valueThe paper identifies trends based on published literature.