Poll Results: Libraries Should Lend E-books, But Few Have Borrowed

By Hannah Johnson

Shortly after the UK Publishers Association announced stricter guidelines for library lending (geographic restrictions and a ban on remote lending), we asked our readers what they thought of library e-book lending. Should libraries loan e-books?

The large majority of poll-takers, 81%, said that libraries should loan e-books, despite arguments that lending e-books could lead to more piracy. Only 7% of those polled said libraries should not loan e-books, and 12% said that libraries should charge a fee for loaning e-books.

In an additional poll, we asked whether our readers had ever checked out an e-book from a library. Although many people had strong feelings regarding whether libraries should loan e-books, only 28% of poll-takers reported ever having checked out an e-book from a library. Another 47% had not borrowed an e-book but planned to do so in the future, and 25% said they had no intention of borrowing an e-book.

Below are the poll results:

Should libraries lend e-books?

• Yes, libraries should be able to lend e-books (81%, 95 Votes)
• Yes, but libraries should charge a fee for each e-book loan (12%, 14 Votes)
• No, libraries should not lend e-books (7%, 9 Votes)

Have you ever checked out an e-book from a library?

• No, but I plan to (47%, 45 Votes)
• No, and I don’t plan to (25%, 24 Votes)
• Yes, it was awesome! (12%, 11 Votes)
• Yes, it was ok (12%, 11 Votes)
• Yes, it was lame (4%, 4 Votes)