Information Connection, 0819 WYBJ, Vol. 42 No. 5. 58

• Author: Amy Pearce, Public Services Librarian George W. Hopper Law Library
• Position: Vol. 42 5 Pg. 58

Information Connection

Vol. 42 No. 5 Pg. 58

Wyoming Bar Journal

August, 2019

Print or E-Book?

Amy Pearce, Public Services Librarian George W. Hopper Law Library

While e-books have established themselves, print is most definitely not dead. Canon, the technology production company, conducted a survey of American adults in 2018 about their use of print and electronic media. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed indicated they prefer print books over e-books and audiobooks. Even so, e-books have strong followers. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, also in 2018, showed that 26% of Americans had read an e-book in the past 12 months.

The introduction of e-readers, like the Amazon Kindle in 2007, eventuated an increase in e-book sales. In 2016, e-books accounted for approximately 23% of book sales in the U.S. This percentage has dropped slightly in subsequent years.

The differences between print and e-books are not merely a matter of medium. There are several differences that are worth exploring in order to better understand the emerging electronic landscape and understand the continued reach of printed materials.

First, it is important to know that e-books are not sold in the traditional sense; rather...