E-books in the mobile age: advocacy and acceptance in India

This paper aims to understand e-books’ popularity in India and the potential of mobile devices to reach huge number of readers because of content absorption through mobile phones and iPods.

To accomplish the goal of this study, the author used a mixed method of study: an analysis of the academic literature, data collection through personal interaction, questionnaire survey and library website to understand users’ perceptions on potential of mobile devices on access to content, and appraised on mobile-friendly services in libraries and strategies for promoting mobile content and best practices.

The mobile age has brought tremendous scope for reading on low-cost mobile devices that are within the reach of almost every Indian and has incorporated optimism in a highly populated country like India. The technology and expertise for digitisation in India correlate with not only digital-savvy but also multimedia- and animation-skilled workforce, which altogether developed an ecosystem favourable for e-book production.

The literature on e-books in India is scanty, although there are a handful of case studies on academic libraries conducted by librarians but no systematic large-scale research on initiatives, advocacy programs and promotional processes to improve the overall scenario; this paper is an attempt to fill the gap.