OnCampus Research: "E-Books, E-Readers Begin to Catch on with College Crowd"

Findings from the March 2011 “OnCampus Electronic Book and E-Reader Device Report” by OnCampus Research have been released.

OnCampus Research is the the research division of the National Association of College Stores (NACS).

655 college students were surveyed.

Highlights via a NACS News Release

The March 2011 OnCampus Electronic Book and E-Reader Device Report backs predictions that we could be approaching the tipping point for digital reading materials among this demographic.

The results showed a 6% increase in e-book purchases of any kind when compared to a similar study done in October 2010, while fewer students are relying on laptops or netbooks to read the material. Nearly 15% fewer students said they used those devices to read e-books, while 39% said they used a dedicated e-reader, up from 19% just five months ago. [Our emphasis] “Although the vast majority of students still do not own a dedicated e-reader, this is a significant jump in five short months,” says Julie Traylor, NACS chief of planning and research.

Nearly 15% reported owning an e-reader, up from 8% in October. Of those now owning a digital e-reader, the Amazon Kindle was the most popular, with 52% of college students owning one, compared to 32% five months ago. Other top e-reader devices included Barnes & Noble’s Nook (21%), Apple iPhone (17%), and Apple iPad (10%).

Students interested in purchasing a new e-reader are most interested in the iPad and Kindle (both 27%), followed by the Nook.

[Our emphasis] Curiously, print textbooks continue as the preferred media option among this demographic. Fully 75% of the college students in the March 2011 survey said that, if the choice was entirely theirs, they would select a print textbook. This is similar to the findings of the October 2010 e-reader survey, as well as one done in the fall of 2008.

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