Humanities e-books: an affective faculty survey

Abstract

Subject specialists seek to understand humanists' perceptions of e-books. The investigator conducted an online survey of humanities faculty at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) to find out. The survey uncovered information about the e-book collections humanist scholars benefit from most. Respondents used and valued e-books but felt printed books were more important in their disciplines. The major disadvantages of e-books outnumbered the major advantages in scholars' estimation, but the desire for ready access to book content largely eclipsed their affinity for print and any perceived disadvantages of the e-book format. The investigator considers implications for local humanities collection development.