This study investigates the demand for e-books as well as printed books affected by the price change of e-books to estimate the price elasticities of the demand for books. This study sampled 400 books categorized as “e-books” on the “Amazon.co.jp” online bookstore. Our study uses data on their ranking and price during the survey period and estimates the price elasticities of demand for the categorized groups of e-books. Conversely, our study investigates the demand for printed books to estimate the crossprice elasticity of demand between e-books and printed books. The results reveal a disparity in price elasticities among the categorized groups of e-books. The groups categorized by their subjects, such as “test preparation” and “life, health and childcare,” have lower price elasticities than the other groups. In addition, the group of books ranked higher has higher price elasticities than the books ranked lower. The investigation between e-books and printed books shows that the cross-price elasticity of demand between e-books and printed books is close to zero.

This study clarifies the extent to which Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals are currently required to have quality-assured academic degrees when applying for international jobs.

The data are drawn from LIBJOBS, which is managed by The International Federation of Library Association and Institutions (IFLA). Investigations have been conducted in North America, which has an accreditation system for LIS programs, and in other regions worldwide.

The findings show that an LIS Masterʼs degree is generally a prerequisite for LIS professional roles in the international job market in all regions apart from Europe. However, the extent to which employers require quality-assured academic degrees varies from region to region.

For instance, a higher percentage of LIS professional roles require Masterʼs degrees accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) in the Middle East, where many US-oriented branch campuses have been built, than in other regions. Some emerging institutions and institutions in developing countries require an ALA-accredited degree as a recognized international equivalent qualification; requiring this degree raises the profile of these institutions among highly qualified professionals in the international community. When diverse experience is desired, however, quality-assured degrees are not mandatory during recruitment.