2015 Charleston Library Conference

e-Books have emerged as an increasingly popular IT innovation in the academia. We apply Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation lens to analyze the adoption of e-Books by students across the world.

We selected 25 empirical studies focusing on the intention, decision, or process of adopting e-Books by students, which were published by top-tier LIS journals in the last 10 years. Our secondary analysis of the past research reveals: (1) the advantages experienced by the students for using e-Books over printed books, (2) the specific tasks for which they prefer using e-Books over printed books, (3) the way in which e-Books are compatible with the beliefs, experiences, and needs of the diverse student populations across the world, (4) the details of optional, mandatory, or collective adoption of e-Books by the students, (5) the role of communication channels in shaping their decision to adopt e-Books, (6) the role of academic settings in shaping their adoption of e-Books, (7) the influence of change agents on the adoption of e-Books by the students, and (8) the nature of promotional efforts enforced by the students’ academic settings and the way in which such efforts affect their decision to adopt e-Books.

This will be an interactive session. We will discuss each of the above 8 findings with the audience.

Based on the strengths and limitations of the 25 empirical studies, we provide guidelines for conducting e-Book adoption research with students from diverse backgrounds. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed at the end.