Study: E-Readers Boost Reading Among U.S. Adults

Twenty-four books. That's the number of books read on an electronic reading device per year by the average U.S. adult, according to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Meanwhile, those who prefer print books to e-books only get through 15 books a year, revealed the same study.

image source: cameron.mantel/flickr

Based on these numbers, it can be said that e-readers boost reading among American adults. Some aficionados of e-readers cite their comfort and convenience. "I never thought that reading a paper book was particularly annoying or inconvenient until I got my Kindle and realized how much more comfortable reading can be," said one commenter of a Consumerist article on the study. Another Consumerist commenter said, "Kindles are so much better for reading during a gym workout than paper books. You don't have to worry about getting them to lie flat or trying to keep sweat off of the pages."

Pew's study on e-reader usage is actually good news for public libraries, which make e-books available for free. More and more users of e-readers are going to the public library primarily to access the free e-books. "I actually re-joined the library so I could check out books online," said one Consumerist reader. Another said, "I bought a Kindle and joined the library very recently. It's been life-changing, having a near-limitless supply of free books to burn through." Perhaps this trend will give libraries an edge in the ongoing conflict with book publishers, which have made fewer (or in some cases, none) of their e-book titles available to libraries for fear of lost book sales.

To read the particulars of the Pew study on the rise of e-reading, go HERE.