[free-sklyarov] Survey on E-Books

Seth Johnson seth.johnson at realmeasures.dyndns.org
Tue Sep 18 18:38:33 PDT 2001


(Forwarded from Public Access Computer Systems Forum)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: URL address for E-BOOK Survey
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 14:25:09 -0400
From: Mike Thompson <JMThompson at UH.EDU>

On Friday August 31, 2001, PACS-L distributed a survey [posted below --
Seth] relating to the perceptions and opinions of readers and users of
E-books (subject line: E-BOOK Survey from the viewpoint of users). 
Those conducting the survey have let us know that the survey forms can
also be access through the Web at the following address:

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/libinfo/eBookSurvey.html


Regards,

J. Michael Thompson
PACS-L - Moderator


Referred August 31 Post:

(Apologies for all caps -- Seth)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: E-BOOK Survey from the viewpoint of users.
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:39:43 -0400
From: Mounir Khalil <MOUCC at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>

WE ARE CONDUCTING A SURVEY RELATING TO THE PERCEPTIONS AND OPINIONS OF
READERS AND USERS OF E-BOOKS IN ACCESSING INFORMATION FOR THEIR MANIFOLD
ACTIVITIES INCLUDING FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES.

THE PUBLISHING, RESELLING, AND VENDOR INDUSTRRIES ARE SPECIFICALLY AND
PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGED TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS AND CONCERNS VIS-A-VIS
THE E-BOOK.

WE, THEREFORE, INVITE YOUR PARTICIPATION AND COOPERATION, AND APPRECIATE
YOUR COMPLETING AND RETURNING THE SURVEY BY OCTOBER 15, 2001.(by mail,
fax or e-mail)

LAST NAME:___________________________FIRST
NAME:___________________________
TITLE:___________________________ORGANIZATION:_____________________________
ADDRESS:___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
CITY:________________________STATE_________________ZIP
CODE:_______________
COUNTRY:____________________
PHONE:_________________FAX:___________________
E-MAIL:
___________________________________________________________________

TYPE OF BUSINESS IN THE INFORMATION WORLD:

( PLEASE INDICATE e.g. ILL, REFERENCE, SERIALS, INDIVIDUAL ETC where
 appropriate)

________ACADEMIC _________BUSINESS ________LAW __________MEDICAL
________PUBLIC  __________SCHOOL   _______SPECIAL
_______PUBLISHER_________
VENDOR________ RESELLER________  OTHER_______*
(PLEASE SPECIFY*)

1- HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE " ELECTRONIC BOOK" OR
    "E-BOOK" ?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

2- HOW DO YOU ACCESS E-BOOK INFORMATION?

(A)______INTERNET ________HOMEPAGE (WWW) _______ONLINE DATABASES
______LIBRARIES _______BUSINESS ACCOUNT ______SHARE WITH OTHER
INSTITUTIONS
______POCKET PCs ______PALM HELD DEVICES______DIALUP______OTHER (LIST)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

(B)     THE TYPES OF E-BOOKS YOU USE:  FICTION______NONFICTION______
        (PLEASE SPECIFY:_________________________________________)

3- ARE YOU DOWNLOADING YOUR E-BOOK DATA  VIA:
__________E-MAIL ___________COMPUTERS ___________PRINTING
__________DISKS ________OTHER (SPECIFY)______________
_____________________________________________________

4. IN YOUR OPINION, WILL  E-BOOKS REPLACE THE TRADITIONAL PRINTED
FORMAT?  _____YES   _____NO

5. IN THE MILIEU IN WHICH YOU OPERATE, DO E-BOOKS CIRCULATE? 
_______YES   _______NO

6- WHAT PERCENTAGE OF E-BOOK DATA DO YOU INCLUDE IN YOUR RESEARCH, OR
UTILIZE OR CITE IN YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHIES, PROJECTS, OR OTHER ASSIGNMENTS?

_______LESS THAN 10% ________20-40% _________MORE THAN 50%_________NONE

7- DO YOU TRANSMIT E-BOOK DATA FROM PUBLISHERS OR THE INTERNET?

_________YES  ________NO

IF (YES) BY : _______FAX ________INTERNET ______E-MAIL _____OTHER
(SPECIFY)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

8- WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF USING E-BOOKS OVER THE TRADITIONAL
MECHANISMS -- PRINT, MICROFORM, ETC?    (PLEASE DESCRIBE "OTHER"* 
<BELOW>  IN DETAIL).

MULTIPLE TITLES IN SINGLE BOOK____________
INCLUDES ONLINE DICTIONARY & LINK TO OTHER SITES___________
OLD TITLES CANNOT GO OUT-OF-PRINT_______________
READERS CAN ADD SEVERAL CHAPTERS FROM SEVERAL
BOOKS (e.g. course reserves)_____________
UPDATE TEXTBOOKS WITH MINIMALCOST TO USER___________
LOWER PUBLISHING & DISTRIBUTION COSTS________
REDUCE # OF PAPERS AND PHYSICAL SPACE   ____________
E-BOOKS ARE A COLLABORATIVE GROUP EXPERIENCE ______________
MAKES USERS FAMILIAR IN & OPERATE IN HARD/SOFTWARE MILIEU___________
GREATER SUPPORT TO ONLINE SERVICES WITH BETTER RESOLUTION &
MULTIMEDIA__________
SEARCHING & CROSS REFERENCING WITHIN & OUTSIDE THE TEXT_________________
AMEND TEXT WITH NOTES, GRAPHIC MEDIA, & CHANGE FONTS__________________
STORE MULTIPLE BOOKS SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR PORTABILITY________________
MAKE TEXTBOOKS AVAILABLE FOR JUST-IN-TIME-LEARNING____________________
USED AS A PAD, MAKES WORKING LESS DESK-BASED & MORE MOBILE___________

OTHER* (PLEASE DESCRIBE)_____________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

9- WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF USING E-BOOKS?

CURRENT EQUIPMENT STANDARDS (CONTRAST, BRIGHTNESS, RESOLUTION) NOT
PERFECT_____________
STRAIN ON EYES AND NECK___________
SCREEN DRAW-BACKS_______________
COPYRIGHT PROBLEMS--LICENSING & DISTRIBUTION ISSUES__________________
MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE PRINTED  BOOK____________
BATTERIES NEED CHARGING OR REPLACEMENT IN THE PORTABLES_______________
DISPLACES WORKERS IN THE PRINT BOOK INDUSTRY___________

DATA SO FLUID THAT COPYRIGHT BECOMES ELUSIVE TO ENFORCE AND AUTHORS HARD
TO  COMPENSATE__________
E-BOOK COSTS NOT AFFORDABLE FOR DEVELOPING ECONOMIES_________
E-BOOKS NEED PROTECTION FROM THEFT UNTIL COSTS ARE AS INEXPENSIVE AS
PAPERBACKS____________

OTHERS (PLEASE SPECIFY)______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________


10- WHAT ARE OTHER BARRIERS AGAINST USING E-BOOKS?

_______LIBRARIES DO NOT SUBSCRIBE OR UTILIZE THE TECHNOLOGY
_______UNFAMILIAR WITH ELECTRONIC BOOK MEDIA
_______MEDIA COSTS
_______NEED TRAINING
_______NO ELECTRONIC MEDIA AVAILABLE
_______NOT MANY E-BOOKS AVAILABLE RELATING TO THE
            TOPIC, SUBJECT, AREA, DISCIPLINE SEARCHED

_______PAPER FORMAT WILL NOT SIMPLY DISAPPEAR
_______THE BOOK AS A DELIVERY PLATFORM HAS TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGES




_______OTHERS  (PLEASE SPECIFY)______________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

11- IN YOUR OPINION , ARE E-BOOKS COST-EFFECTIVE?

________YES  ______NO

WHY SO?

COMMENTS WELCOME FROM ALL PUBLISHERS, READERS, USERS, INTERESTED OTHERS
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

12- ARE YOU ABLE TO ACCESS E-BOOK DATA FROM COUNTRIES OTHER THAN
YOURS--EVEN ASSUMING ACCEPTABLE CONNECTIVITY, PROTOCOLS AND THE LIKE?

________YES  _______NO

IF (YES) SPECIFY WHICH COUNTRY?______________________
_____________________________________________________

IF (NO) WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS?

_________TECHNOLOGY ________CULTURAL ________OTHER (SPECIFY)

13- WILL RESEARCH AND TEACHING BE BETTER WHEN E-BOOKS ARE UNIVERSALLY IN
PLACE AND USED? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW*

(A) WILL STUDENTS USE E-TEXTBOOKS?  ______YES  ______NO

(B) WILL PROFESSORS/TEACHERS USE E-BOOKS FOR RESEARCH/TEACHING? 
_______YES  ________NO

*PLEASE COMMENT:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

14- WILL ELECTRONIC COPYRIGHT LAWS LIMIT THE USE OF ELECTRONIC BOOKS

_______YES   ________NO?

PLEASE COMMENT_______________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

15- DO YOU USE OR HAVE FAMILIARITY WITH THE FOLLOWING () BRANDS OR ()
SOFTWARE  OR () MODELS?

() FRANKLIN EBOOKMAN_________RCA REB-1200________PALM VISOR________
   POCKET PCs (COMPAQ, iPAQ, HP Jornada)___________
   NUVOMEDIA_________ ROCKET E-BOOK_________SOFTBOOK READER___________

() MICROSOFT READER____________ADOBE GLASSBOOK READER___________ADOBE
EBOOK________
   GEMSTAR'S E-BOOK___________ OTHER SOFTWARE THAT MAY BE DEEMED
INCOMPATIBLE:  PLEASE SPECIFY______________________________________

() EVERYBOOK__________ LIBRIUS INC.__________EBOOK
CENTRAL_______________OTHER MODELS_____________
   PLEASE
SPECIFY________________________________________________________________
   ________________________________________________________________

16-DO YOU HAVE CASE STUDIES OR RESULTS FROM AN E-BOOK STUDY?  
YES_______   NO_________

IF (YES),  HAVE  YOU  INCORPORATED  INFORMATION IN RESPONDING TO THIS
QUESTIONNAIRE?    YES________    NO_________

IF (NO), COULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION IN "ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS" BELOW:

17-ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS YOU WISH TO MAKE?
_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND RAPID RESPONSE.

YOUR REPLY BY OCTOBER 15, 2001 WILL BE APPRECIATED. YOU MAY SEND YOUR
REPLY BY FAX OR E-MAIL.

A SUMMARY OF THE SURVEY RESULTS WILL BE POSTED AT A LATER DATE WHEN DATA
HAVE BEEN ANALYZED.

PLEASE SEND YOUR REPLY TO EITHER: 

MOUNIR KHALIL              RAJA JAYATILLEKE
CITY COLLEGE/CUNY          COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND/CUNY
TEL.(212) 650-5750         TEL.(718) 982-4016
FAX :(212)650-7618         FAX: (718) 982-4015

E-M:MOUCC at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU  E-M:JAYATILLEKE at POSTBOX.CSI.CUNY.EDU

OR : Khalil36 at Hotmail.com





More information about the Free-sklyarov mailing list