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More Recent Publications

E-book Reading Jumps; Print Book Reading Declines

December 27, 2012

23% of Americans ages 16 and older read an e-book in the past year, up from 16% the year before. The share who read a print book declined to 67%, from 72%.

Reading Habits in Different Communities

December 20, 2012

Residents of urban, suburban, and rural areas vary in their purposes for reading, their use of digital content, their engagement with public libraries, and where they turn for book recommendations

Younger Americans’ Reading and Library Habits

October 23, 2012

More than eight in ten Americans ages 16-29 read a book in the past year, and six in ten used their local public library. Many say they are reading more in the era of digital content, especially on their mobile phones and on computers.

Libraries, patrons, and e-books

June 22, 2012

12% of e-book readers have borrowed an e-book from a library. Those who use libraries are pretty heavy readers, but most are not aware they can borrow e-books.

The rise of e-reading

April 04, 2012

21% of Americans have read an e-book. The increasing availability of e-content is prompting some to read more than in the past and to prefer buying books to borrowing them.

A Snapshot of E-Reader and Tablet Owners (Infographic)

January 27, 2012

A look at the demographic differences among owners of tablets and e-book reader devices.

Tablet and E-book reader Ownership Nearly Double Over the Holiday Gift-Giving Period

January 23, 2012

The share of adults in the United States who own tablet computers nearly doubled from 10% to 19% between mid-December and early January and the same surge in growth also applied to e-book readers.

Libraries and Learning Communities (Video & Slides)

October 18, 2011

Director Lee Rainie gave a keynote address at the Internet Librarian conference that examined the potential role librarians can play in “learning communities” – both physical and virtual.

Information Searches That Solve Problems

December 30, 2007

This report emerges from a national survey that looks at how people use a variety of information sources to help them address some common problems that could be related in some way to government agencies and programs.