2011 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 238-244
Use of e-books in public libraries in the US and Japan was studied through interviews at libraries. US public libraries have long history of audio books, which have paved the way for e-books. It was reported that close to 100% libraries with over 500,000 user populations were offering e-books in 2010. In Japan, after Chiyoda Public Library introduced e-books in 2007, there were no other instances until in 2011 when two additional libraries, Sakai-shi and Hagi Public Libraries, started servicing e-books. In addition, there was a monitor study at the Kamakura City Library early in 2011. In the US, OverDrive leads the market, and adoption of iPad and Kindle as book readers is under way, while in Japan, WBook is the only player. The future of e-books at public libraries and challenges are discussed.