Behavioral trends in the use of printed book or e-book: a case study in Portuguese university libraries

Abstract

This study analyses the behavioural trends in the use of scientific information from printed books and e-books and the way university libraries users choose to use it. To this end, a survey was conducted on a sample of users from various Portuguese higher education schools. The first part focused on the characterization of respondents, which includes data on gender, area of knowledge, and academic level attended. In the second part, we sought the opinion about advantages and disadvantages of each medium, frequency of use, choice of medium according to the purpose of reading, devices used, and acquisition suggestions for the library. The results allow us to observe the factors that influence and affect the behaviours of users regarding their choice. Studies such as this help to support the decision in choosing the information resources to be purchased taking into account user preferences, but also to outline strategies for promoting the use of various media that, rather than competitors, should be complementary.