Why undergraduate students choose to use e-books

Abstract

As an innovation, the e-book purports to replace the printed book. However, students continue to indicate a preference for using printed books. Nevertheless, many academic libraries report e-book use rates equal to or greater than that of the printed book. In this study, eight factors were investigated as potential reasons undergraduate students chose to use an e-book. A quantitative research design using a convenience sampling method and chi-square analyses was employed in the study. The population of interest was undergraduate students attending a small, traditional, liberal arts institution. Participants indicated leisure reading, conducting research, forced adoption, and convenience were positive factors in their choice to use an e-book. In-class reading was a negative factor in their choice to use an e-book. The availability of the printed book also proved to be a negative factor in the use of e-books. Textbook use and reading assigned readings were unrelated to their choice to use an e-book. When available, students chose to use the printed book; however, when the e-book was the only format available, they used it.