Use and perceptions of e-books in Derbyshire libraries

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the new e-lending scheme on the users of libraries operated by Derbyshire County Council.

A web-based questionnaire was distributed to current and recent users of the e-lending service, and 452 responses were obtained.

The service is very highly valued, and its users would wish it to be continued and, if possible, extended and improved, most obviously by increasing the stock. The principal motivating factors for use of the service are convenience and time-saving, as opposed to physical remoteness from a library or accessibility issues.

This is one of the first, and the largest, surveys in the UK of a public library e-lending service, and it provides guidance for the future development of such services.