E-books in the Czech Republic: Analysis of demand and readers’ behaviour

Abstract

Currently, there is a more frequent replacement of books by e-books, which have become an increasingly viable format and make it easier for readers to read books in a variety of places. Public libraries therefore focus more often on the provision of e-books as one of the components of their digital services. However, these services do not always meet with an adequate demand from readers due to several factors, such as service charges or a lack of awareness. Therefore, in this article, the authors focus on the demand side, represented by e-book readers. Specifically, they focus on the Municipal Library of Prague’s e-book readers’ behaviour and propose a three-step research model. It consists of analyses focusing on: (1) the specifics of the Municipal Library of Prague’s e-book readers; (2) e-book readers’ interest in borrowing e-books; and (3) e-book readers’ interest in the Municipal Library of Prague’s e-service when they must pay a fee. As a data source, the authors use unique data from an online questionnaire survey among readers of the Municipal Library of Prague in 2019 by the Sociores agency. The results show that science fiction and fantasy readers represent the most significant group of e-book readers at the Municipal Library of Prague, and that Facebook is the most significant channel for communication with e-book readers. The authors also confirm the importance of e-book readers and smartphones as devices that significantly affect readers’ decision to read e-books. In the final part of the article, the authors propose some practical recommendations that could attract more e-book readers.