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DECEMBER 20, 2012Reading Habits in DifferentCommunitiesResidents of urban, suburban, and rural areas vary in their purpose...
Summary of FindingsReading is foundational to learning and the information acquisition upon which people make decisions.Fo...
visit. Residents of all three kinds of communities are equally likely to say librarians and library websitesare sources of...
pewinternet.org   4
pewinternet.org   5
pewinternet.org   6
Some other factors stand out: Urban residents are more likely than suburban readers to say they arereading more because of...
hope that the findings will be useful to communities as they ponder the role of their libraries andcontemplate the future ...
Mimi Ito, Research Director of Digital Media and Learning Hub, University of California HumanitiesResearch InstitutePatric...
Part 1: IntroductionThis report is part of a series exploring the rising e-book environment and its impact on the generalr...
Internet findings are consistent with community demographic attributes that are issued by the U.S.Census Bureau.The commun...
an overall educational attainment of a high school diploma or less. Rural communities are alsodisproportionately white com...
they want it. The most recent Federal Communications report on this found that 14.5 million ruralAmericans live in areas w...
Gadget ownership in different communities% of residents ages 18+ in each community who own each device100%  80%           ...
Part 2: The General Reading Habits of AmericansGeneral readingIn our December 2011 survey, we found that 78% of Americans ...
if so, what type of book they read). Nine in 10 have read printed books over the past 12 months, two in10 have read an e-b...
likely to read in order to keep up with current events or for work or school, likely due to fewer ruralresidents being emp...
magazine/journal reading habits and in the frequency of reading either newspapers ormagazines/journals on handheld devices...
The picture is slightly different for magazines and journal readership. Suburban residents are more likelythan rural resid...
Part 3: E-reading Device OwnershipIn the December 2011 survey and follow-up surveys of January 2012 there was major growth...
Plans to purchase an e-reader% of non-owners in each community    Urban         9%        7%                              ...
Why people dont own these devicesThere are very few substantive differences in the reasons respondents give for why they d...
Part 4: The State of E-Book ReadingWhen asked about the impact electronic and digital material availability has on reading...
Part 5: Where and How Readers Get Their BooksReader preferences for where and how they get their books are surprisingly si...
Across all three communities, a large majority of e-readers begin their search for an e-book at an onlinebookstore, but su...
Prefer e-book over print for…% of readers of both print and e-content in each community who prefer e-book for each purpose...
Part 6: Library Use Across CommunitiesPeople in different communities sometimes have different connections to their local ...
Library borrowing across communities% of residents age 16+ in each community (among those who have read print, read e-book...
Likelihood of using different library services% of non e-readers and those who dont borrow e-books from library in each co...
Part 7: Differences Between Heavy, Light, andNon-book readers Across Community TypeIn The Rise of E-Reading report we note...
The analysis of different level readers across community type reveals some differences in overall readinghabits and in att...
magazine/journals, heavy urban and suburban readers are more likely than heavy rural readers to haveread a newspaper (61% ...
Library use among heavy and light readers by community size                                                  Urban        ...
Library use and attitudes among non-book readers by community size                                                        ...
MethodologyReading Habits SurveyPrepared by Princeton Survey Research Associates Internationalfor the Pew Research Center’...
to produce samples that closely mirror the population in terms of age and gender when combined withcell interviewing.For t...
United States. The population density parameter was derived from Census 2000 data. The cell phoneusage parameter came from...
County Pop. Density                1 - Lowest                  20.1               23.6         20.3                2      ...
respondent selection bias, questionnaire wording and reporting inaccuracy, may contribute additionalerror of greater or le...
44.1%   37.4%   Eligibility Rate             104     26      Break-off             1,526   1,460   Completes             9...
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Reading Habits in Different Communities.12

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Reading Habits in Different Communities
Residents of urban, suburban, and rural areas vary in their purposes for reading, their use of digital content, their engagement with public libraries, and where they turn for book recommendations
Carolyn Miller Research Consultant
Kristen Purcell Associate Director for Research, Pew Internet Project
Lee Rainie Director, Pew Internet Project
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
1615 L St., NW – Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: 202-419-4500
http://libraries.

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Reading Habits in Different Communities.12

  1. 1. DECEMBER 20, 2012Reading Habits in DifferentCommunitiesResidents of urban, suburban, and rural areas vary in their purposes forreading, their use of digital content, their engagement with publiclibraries, and where they turn for book recommendations Carolyn Miller Research Consultant Kristen Purcell Associate Director for Research, Pew Internet Project Lee Rainie Director, Pew Internet ProjectPew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project1615 L St., NW – Suite 700Washington, D.C. 20036Phone: 202-419-4500http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/12/20/reading-habits-in-different-communities
  2. 2. Summary of FindingsReading is foundational to learning and the information acquisition upon which people make decisions.For centuries, the capacity to read has been a benchmark of literacy and involvement in community life.In the 21st Century, across all types of U.S. communities, reading is a common activity that is pursued inmyriad ways.As technology and the digital world expand and offer new types of reading opportunities, residents ofurban, suburban, and rural communities at times experience reading and e-reading differently. In themost meaningful ways, these differences are associated with the demographic composition of differentkinds of communities — the age of the population, their overall level of educational attainment, and thegeneral level of household income.1Several surveys by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project reveal interestingvariations among communities in the way their residents read and use reading-related technology andinstitutions:Book readers: Some 78% of Americans ages 16 and older say they read a book in the past 12 months.Urban (80%) and suburban (80%) residents are especially likely to have read at least one book in thepast year. While rural residents are somewhat less likely to have read a book in the past year (71%), thebook readers in rural areas read as many books as their counterparts in cities and suburbs.Purposes for reading: Most of those ages 16 and older read books for pleasure, and that is especiallytrue of suburban readers: 82% of suburbanites read for pleasure, compared with 79% of urban residentsand 76% of rural residents. Urban residents (80%) and suburban dwellers (79%) are also especially likelyto read to keep up with current events. Some 73% of rural residents do that. More than three-quartersof suburban residents (77%) read to research topics that interest them, compared with 74% of urbanresidents and 70% of rural residents. Finally, 57% of suburbanites and 58% of city dwellers read forschool or work, compared with 47% of rural residents who do that.Americans and libraries: The majority of Americans ages 16 and older (58%) have a library card andeven more (69%) say the library is important to them and their families. Some 71% of city dwellers saythe library is important to them and 59% have library cards — and 69% of suburban residents say thelibrary is important and 61% have library cards. At the same time, 62% of rural residents say the libraryis important and 48% have library cards.Book recommendations: Family and friends are the primary source of book discovery for Americans 16and older, especially so for suburban (66%) and urban residents (66%). Some 60% of rural residents saythey get book recommendations from family and friends. Similarly, city dwellers (25%) and suburbanites(24%) are more likely than rural residents (18%) to have gotten recommendations from book stores they1 The area where each respondent lives is defined by U.S. government classifications according to the respondent’s home ZIPCode..pewinternet.org 2
  3. 3. visit. Residents of all three kinds of communities are equally likely to say librarians and library websitesare sources of book recommendations.Newspaper and journal readers: Some 58% of those ages 16 and older say they regularly readnewspapers. There are not noteworthy differences across communities in the numbers of people whoregularly read newspapers. But suburban residents (57%) and urban dwellers (56%) are more likely tosay they at times read their newspapers on handheld devices than rural residents (45%). When it comesto magazines and journals, 52% of the suburbanites ages 16 and older say they read them regularly,compared with 47% of urban dwellers and 44% of rural residents. Among those who read magazinesand journals, 36% of urban readers and 33% of suburban readers read their magazines and journals attimes on handheld devices. That compares with 24% of rural readers who read magazines and journalsthat way.Preferences for e-books vs. print books: Some 14% of readers read an e-book and a printed book in thepast year. Those book readers in dual platforms were asked which type of book is better for differentreading activities such as sharing books with others, reading in bed, reading with a child, or readingwhile traveling. Generally, urban readers in both formats are more likely to prefer e-books for manyreading activities, while rural readers who have read in both formats tend to prefer print.pewinternet.org 3
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  7. 7. Some other factors stand out: Urban residents are more likely than suburban readers to say they arereading more because of availability of digital format and they are the most likely to prefer e-books overprint for many reading activities. Among non e-readers, urban residents are the most likely to expressinterest in classes to learn about e-book related features of the public library. Suburban residents aremore likely than rural residents to read magazines or journals regularly. Residents of the suburbs aremore likely than urban residents to have used their library to borrow print or audiobooks in the past 12months and they are more likely then rural residents to express interest in using e-book readers that arealready loaded with books from the library. Rural residents are in most ways similar to readers andlibrary users in other kinds of communities, though they are a bit less likely to have read a book in thepast 12 months or be as avidly engaged with their local library.The Pew Internet surveys also show that book readers in all kinds of communities are similar in howmuch they read, the format they use for getting content (print, audio, electronic books, newspapers)and whether they read “yesterday” or on a “typical day.” They also express similar preferences forborrowing or buying print, audio, or electronic books. They also show no notable variation in the formatof their most recently read book. And there are few differences in the e-reading behaviors among thosein different communities who own those devices.Statistical modeling shows that the biggest factors at play when it comes to different reading habits arepeople’s ages, their level of education, and their household income. The type of community in whichpeople live is not an independent predictor of their reading behavior or their activities at libraries. Inother words, no matter where they live, people of similar ages and similar socio-economic profiles readand engage their libraries at roughly the same level. To the degree that there is variance among thereading styles in communities, those differences are associated with the demographic makeup of thesecommunities, not because there is something unique about rural residence, or urban residence, or beinga suburbanite.Thus, the factors that characterize reading in urban communities emerge from the fact that residents ofthese communities are relatively young and more likely to be African-American and Latino, comparedwith suburban or rural residents. Urban dwellers are also most likely to be unemployed or students andto report lower household income.In contrast, suburban residents tend to be middle-aged, have higher income than residents of othertypes of communities, and are more likely to be employed full time.Rural residents are older than those living in other types of communities (rural residents are particularlylikely to be ages 50 to 64). They are also the most likely to report being retired or disabled, and to haveoverall educational attainment of a high school diploma or less. Rural communities are alsodisproportionately white compared with other community types.Still, some of the realities of rural life beyond demographics might be a factor in the issues we areexploring here. For instance, rural areas have less access to broadband connectivity and probably havefewer book stores proportionally than urban and suburban areas. Those factors could affect the wayrural residents think about reading and books and where to acquire them.We present these results because reading differences in different communities are important forlibraries to understand because they function in geographic spaces. We focus on community types in thepewinternet.org 7
  8. 8. hope that the findings will be useful to communities as they ponder the role of their libraries andcontemplate the future of reading, access to knowledge, the process of learning, and where technologyfits into all that.About the researchThese are just some of the findings from a series of nationally representative telephone surveys ofAmericans. They were conducted in English and Spanish, and included both landline and cell phonesamples. The main survey of 2,986 Americans ages 16 and older was conducted November 16 -December 21, 2011, and focused on the new e-reading environment and people’s habits andpreferences where digital and print content are concerned. This work was underwritten by a grant fromthe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.Two additional nationally representative telephone surveys were conducted between January 5 - 8 andJanuary 12 - 15, 2012 to see the extent to which adoption of e-book reading devices (both tablets and e-readers) might have grown during the 2011 holiday gift-giving season, and some of those figures arereported here.2 Also, Pew Internet’s Winter Tracking Survey (fielded January 20 - February 19, 2012)repeated questions from the first survey about the incidence of book reading in the previous 12 monthsto determine if there were any changes resulting from the sharp increase in device owners over theholiday season.3Throughout the report, all data cited are from the initial November 16 - December 21, 2011 surveyunless otherwise specified.AcknowledgementsThe Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project is an initiative of the Pew Research Center,a nonprofit “fact tank” that provides information on the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping Americaand the world. The Pew Internet Project explores the impact of the internet on children, families,communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. The Project is nonpartisan andtakes no position on policy issues. Support for the Project is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.More information is available at www.pewinternet.orgAdvisors for this researchA number of experts have helped Pew Internet in this research effort:Larra Clark, American Library Association, Office for Information Technology PolicyMike Crandall, Professor, Information School, University of WashingtonAllison Davis, Senior Vice President, GMMBCatherine De Rosa, Vice President, OCLCLaToya Devezin, American Library Association Spectrum Scholar and librarian, LouisianaAmy Eshelman, Program Leader for Education, Urban Libraries CouncilSarah Houghton, Director, San Rafael Public Library, California2 Results from these surveys will be referred to as "January omnibus data" where they are cited.3 Results from this survey will be referred to as "Winter Tracking data" where they are cited.pewinternet.org 8
  9. 9. Mimi Ito, Research Director of Digital Media and Learning Hub, University of California HumanitiesResearch InstitutePatrick Losinski, Chief Executive Officer, Columbus Library, OhioJo McGill, Director, Northern Territory Library, AustraliaDwight McInvaill, Director, Georgetown County Library, South CarolinaBobbi Newman, Blogger, Librarian By DayCarlos Manjarrez, Director, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Institute of Museum and LibraryServicesJohana E. Orellana-Cabrera, American Library Association Spectrum Scholar and librarian at City of Irvine(CA) Public LibrariesMayur Patel, Vice President for Strategy and Assessment, John S. and James L. Knight FoundationSharman Smith, Executive Director, Mississippi Library CommissionFrancine Fialkoff, former Editor-in-Chief, Library JournalDisclaimer from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: This report is based on research funded in partby the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The findings and conclusions contained within are those of theauthors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.pewinternet.org 9
  10. 10. Part 1: IntroductionThis report is part of a series exploring the rising e-book environment and its impact on the generalreading habits of Americans, as well as its impact on public libraries. To understand the place e-reading,e-books, and libraries have in Americans’ evolving reading habits, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationawarded the Pew Internet Project a three-year grant. Libraries have traditionally played a key role in thecivic and social life of their communities, and this work is aimed at exploring the ways that changes inconsumer behavior and library offerings might affect that unique relationship between libraries andcommunities.This report is the fourth in a series of Gates Foundation-funded releases. The first report,4 issued in April2012, detailed the general reading habits of the U.S. adult population and how it has shifted since theadvent of e-book technology. The second report,5 issued in June 2012, focused on the intersection of e-books and libraries, where libraries fit into the new book-consumption patterns of Americans, whenpeople choose to borrow or buy books, and when they prefer digital content over print content and viceversa. The third report, issued in October of 2012 examined the reading habits and library use ofyounger adults ages 16 to 29.6The current report builds on the first two, in that it explores the general reading habits and e-readinghabits of Americans, yet it does so through the lens of different community types. Its focus is howpeople living in urban, suburban, and rural communities compare with one another in their readingpatterns, interest in e-reading, and library use habits. Specifically, this report takes a closer look acrosscommunities at similarities and differences in how much people read, what they read, how they readand how they use and value their local public library.An examination of differences in the demographic makeup and electronic ownership profile of thesedifferent communities provides an important framework and context for the reading and e-readingdifferences reported here.Community descriptions — demographic profileOverall, in the main survey analyzed here, about a third (31%) of the respondents live in an urbansetting, nearly half (48%) reside in the suburbs of a large city, and 16% live in rural areas.7 Significantdemographic differences across the populations of these different community types, as well asattitudinal and behavioral differences, impact residents’ reading habits and attitudes. Statisticalmodeling shows that in most cases, the key demographics of age, income, and educational attainmentare most strongly related to reading habits and behaviors, and these are precisely the variables by whichurban, suburban, and rural communities generally differ. Thus, the demographic makeup of differentcommunity types is noted below and should provide a context for interpreting the results. The Pew4 The Rise of E-reading, available at http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading.5 Libraries, Patrons and E-books, available at http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/06/22/libraries-patrons-and-e-books.6 Younger Americans’ Reading and Library Habits, available athttp://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/10/23/younger-americans-reading-and-library-habits.7 5% of the sample was undesignated with respect to community size. These respondents were excluded from theanalysis for this report.pewinternet.org 10
  11. 11. Internet findings are consistent with community demographic attributes that are issued by the U.S.Census Bureau.The community designations that form the basis of this report are based on the location of thetelephone number in a community of a specific size. For landline numbers in the sample,urban/suburban/rural designations based on Office of Management and Budget (OMB) definitions areappended to each number in the sample by the survey sample vendor. For cell phone numbers,respondents are asked the zip code in which they live and then those cell phone respondents arematched to known community type designations based on landlines in the same zip code. For about 5%of the sample, almost exclusively cell phone respondents, community type cannot be determinedbecause the zip code provided cannot be matched to existing community type designations. Differentiation of the sample into community type % of respondents who live in each community type N/A 5% Rural Urban 16% 31% Suburban 48% Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16 - December 21, 2011. Total sample n=2,986 adults, ages 16 and older. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points.Demographically, these community types differ in terms of the age, educational attainment, householdincome, and the race/ethnic status of their residents. Specifically, compared to suburban and ruralresidents, those living in urban areas tend to be younger and minority — they are the group most likelyto be under age 30 and the most likely to be black or Hispanic. They are also most likely to beunemployed or a student and to report lower household income. Urban residents are the least likely ofthe three community types to be married.In contrast, suburban residents tend to be middle-aged, have higher income than residents of othertypes of communities, and employed full time.Rural residents are older than those living in other types of communities (rural residents are particularlylikely to be ages 50 to 64). They are also the most likely to report being retired or disabled, and to havepewinternet.org 11
  12. 12. an overall educational attainment of a high school diploma or less. Rural communities are alsodisproportionately white compared with other community types. The demographic makeup of urban, suburban, and rural populations The % of residents ages 16 and older who fall into each demographic category Urban Suburban Rural Age 16-29 26%* 19% 16% 30-49 32 35* 28 50-64 26 28 35* 65+ 14 17 20* Race and ethnicity White, non-Hispanic 54 71* 81* Black, non-Hispanic 17* 10 7 Hispanic 21* 12* 7 Educational attainment High school grad or less 42 42 58* Some college 26 27 26 College graduate 32* 30* 14 Household income Less than $30,000 33* 24 35* $30,000-$49,999 17 17 17 $50,000-$74,999 11 13 13 $75,000+ 22* 26* 14 Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21, 2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880; Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. Margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.Internet use and gadget ownership profileIn addition to demographic variation, rural, suburban, and urban residents differ in terms of theirownership of electronic gadgets, which may be partly a reflection of the demographic profiles notedabove.Rural residents (who tend to be older and somewhat less educated than residents of other types ofcommunities) are least likely to use the internet or email or to have a cell phone, and they are mostlikely to take most of their calls on a landline phone. This might partly stem from the fact that someremote rural areas have not had access to wired broadband, so it is not available to residents even ifpewinternet.org 12
  13. 13. they want it. The most recent Federal Communications report on this found that 14.5 million ruralAmericans live in areas where they do not have access to wired broadband.8Suburban residents, on the other hand, are the most likely to have a laptop or desktop computer.Digital connectivity in different communities% of residents age 16+ in each community who use… 100% 89%* 89%* 83%* 84%* 80% 79% * 73% 74% 73% 68% 60% 40% 20% 0% Internet/email Cell phone Desktop/laptop computer Urban Suburban RuralSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880;Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. Marginof error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference acrosscommunity type at the 95% confidence level.Ownership of e-reading devices across community types also differs: rural residents are less likely thantheir urban or suburban counterparts to have a tablet computer, but there is no difference acrosscommunity types in ownership of a handheld e-reading device such as a Kindle or Nook. Rural residentsare most likely to indicate they own neither type of device — more than three-quarters say they do nothave an e-reader or tablet computer compared with slightly more than two-thirds of suburban andurban residents.98 Federal Communications Commission. “Eighth Broadband Progress Report.” August 21, 2012. Available athttp://www.scribd.com/doc/103512404/FCC-2012-Broadband.9 Data from January omnibus surveyspewinternet.org 13
  14. 14. Gadget ownership in different communities% of residents ages 18+ in each community who own each device100% 80% 78% * 69% 69% 60% 40% 19% 19% 21% 20% 15% 20% 14% * 0% E-reader Tablet computer Neither Urban Suburban RuralSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet Project January Omnibus Surveys conducted January 5-8, 2012 of1,000 adults age 18 and older and the other conducted January 12-15, 2012 among a sample of 1,008 adults. Theoverall margin of error in the combined Jan. 2012 dataset is +/- 2.4 percentage points. The January surveys wereconducted on landline and cell phones. They were conducted only in English. Sample size for Urban=540,Suburban=977, Rural=381. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95%confidence level.pewinternet.org 14
  15. 15. Part 2: The General Reading Habits of AmericansGeneral readingIn our December 2011 survey, we found that 78% of Americans ages 16 and older read a book in theprevious year. There are differences among the communities in the overall portion of those who haveread at least one book in the previous year: 80% of urban residents ages 16 and older have read a bookin the past year; 80% of suburban residents have done so; and 71% of rural residents have done so.Once our examination turns to the book readers in the population, there are not notable differencesamong urban, suburban, and rural residents when it comes to the volume of the reading they do.Among those who do read books, on average, urban and suburban residents report they have read 17books over the past 12 months and rural residents, on average, have read 19.When grouped into categories of reading frequency, residents of urban, suburban, and ruralcommunities are very similar. Roughly three in 10 are light readers (one to five books in the past 12months); another 25% to 31% are moderate readers (six to 20) and just about two in 10 are heavyreaders (21 or more books) in the past 12 months.Book readers by community type% of residents ages 16+ in each community who read indicated number of books in whole or in part in the past 12months Urban 17% 32% 29% 19% 3%Suburban 16% 32% 31% 17% 4% Rural 25%* 29% 25% 17% 4% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% None 1-5 Books 6-20 Books 21+ Books No answerSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880;Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. Marginof error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference acrosscommunity type at the 95% confidence level.Readers across communities show similar patterns in the types of books they have consumed in the past12 months (print, e-book, audiobook) and their recent reading habits (whether they read yesterday andpewinternet.org 15
  16. 16. if so, what type of book they read). Nine in 10 have read printed books over the past 12 months, two in10 have read an e-book, and slightly more than one in 10 have listened to an audiobook. Types of books people read are similar across community types Urban Suburban Rural Among readers, type of books read in past 12 months Print 92% 89% 89% Audio 14 15 17 E-book 29 29 27 (n=416) (n=665) (n=245) Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Winter Tracking Survey, January 20 - February 19, 2012. Total sample for book readers n=1,850 respondents age 16 and older. Total sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=551; Suburban=878; Rural=336. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.In the December 2011 Reading Habits Survey, respondents were also asked if they had read a book theday prior to the interview, and if so, what format they had read. Across communities, just under halfreport doing some kind of reading on the day before they were interviewed. Of those who read“yesterday,” the vast majority (more than 80%) read a print book, 14%-17% listened to an audiobookand 5% or fewer read an e-book. There are no significant differences across community type. Daily reading and types of books read on a typical day are similar across community types Urban Suburban Rural % of residents ages 16+ who… Read yesterday 48% 44% 45% Among readers, type of book read yesterday… Print 87% 84% 83% Audio 14 14 17 E-Book 3 5 2 (n=387) (n=591) (n=200) Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21, 2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Total sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880; Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones.Why people readThe reasons people give for reading vary slightly across different types of communities. Suburbanresidents are more likely than either urban or rural residents to read for pleasure and they are morelikely than rural residents to read as part of research on specific topics. Rural residents are the leastpewinternet.org 16
  17. 17. likely to read in order to keep up with current events or for work or school, likely due to fewer ruralresidents being employed or in school than is the case in other communities.Suburban residents are more likely than rural residents to read for pleasure orfor research purposes% of residents age 16+ in each community type who read for each reason… Rural Suburban Urban 76% Pleasure 82%* 79% 73% To follow current events 79%* 80%* 70% To research a specific topic 77%* 74% 47% Work or school 57%* 58%* 8% * Not for any of these reasons 4% 4% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16 - December 21,2011. Total sample n=2986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880;Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones.The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant differenceacross community type at the 95% confidence level.The joy of readingAcross communities, readers are similar in what they like most about reading. Residents of all threecommunities most often say they like the learning, knowledge, and information they get from reading,the escape, the entertainment, and the relaxation it provides. A less commonly cited value of reading isthe good mental exercise it provides. Notably, urban residents are more likely than rural residents tocite this as one of the things they like best about reading (5% vs. 2%).Newspaper, magazine, and journal readingWhile residents of urban, suburban and rural communities are similar in most of their reading habitswith regard to daily newspapers, there are differences across communities in residents’pewinternet.org 17
  18. 18. magazine/journal reading habits and in the frequency of reading either newspapers ormagazines/journals on handheld devices such as a tablet computer, e-reader or cell phone.Residents living in different types of communities are equally likely to report they read daily news or anewspaper regularly (57% urban, 60% suburban, 54% rural). Moreover, among regular newspaperreaders, residents across communities are equally likely to report they read a newspaper yesterday (76%urban, 75% suburban, 72% rural).However, among regular newspaper readers, urban and suburban residents are more likely than ruralresidents to have read the newspaper in an electronic format (56% urban, 57% suburban vs. 45% rural).Again, this might at least partially result from the fact that rural residents — and their libraries — aresomewhat less likely to have access to broadband.Daily newspaper reading is similar across communities, but among regular readers,rural residents are least likely to read newspapers on a handheld device% of residents ages 16+ in each community who read newspapers regularly 100% 80% 57% 60% 54% 60% 40% 20% 0% Read newspaper regularly Urban Suburban Rural% of regular newspaper readers in each community who… 100% 76% 75% 72% 80% 56%* 57%* 60% 45% 40% 20% 0% Read newspaper yesterday Read newspaper on handheld device Urban Suburban RuralSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for community groups, all adults:Urban=880; Suburban=1468, Rural=504. Regular newspaper readers: Urban=549, Suburban=928; Rural=298.Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. The margin of error for the totalsample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the95% confidence level.pewinternet.org 18
  19. 19. The picture is slightly different for magazines and journal readership. Suburban residents are more likelythan rural residents to read these publications regularly (52% vs. 44%). Among regular readers ofmagazines and journals, there are no differences across community type in reading this type ofpublication yesterday but urban and suburban residents are more likely than rural residents to readmagazines or journals in electronic format (36% urban, 33% suburban vs. 24% rural).Rural residents are also least likely to read magazines or journals onhandheld devices% of residents ages 16+ in each community that reads magazines/journals regularly 100% 80% 52%* 60% 47% 44% 40% 20% 0% Read journals/magazines regularly Urban Suburban Rural% of regular magazine/journal readers in each community who… 100% 80% 60% 44% 47% 46% 40% 36%* 33%* 24% 20% 0% Read journal/mag yesterday Read journals/mags on handheld device Urban Suburban RuralSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2percentage points. Sample sizes for community groups, all adults: Urban 880; Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Regularmagazine/journal readers: Urban=468; Suburban=819; Rural 244. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish andon landline and cell phones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95%confidence level.pewinternet.org 19
  20. 20. Part 3: E-reading Device OwnershipIn the December 2011 survey and follow-up surveys of January 2012 there was major growth inownership of e-reading devices like Kindles and Nooks and in tablet computer ownership. In the Januarysurvey, we found that 21% of urban residents, 20% of suburban residents, and 14% of rural residentshad tablets. There was not notable variance by community type in the timing of those purchases.On the other hand, urban, suburban, and rural e-reader owners show some variations. Some 19% ofurban dwellers own such e-readers, 19% of suburban residents own such devices, and 14% of ruralresidents own them. Among e-reader owners, urban residents are more likely than those in the suburbsor rural areas to be recent purchasers, past 30 days (13% urban vs. 6% suburban, 8% rural). Roughly twoin 10 e-reader purchasers bought within the past six months, three in 10 purchased within the past 12months, and another three in 10 purchased more than 12 months ago.Timing of e-reader purchases% of e-reader owners in each community who purchased within… Urban 13% * 22% 33% 30% 2% Suburban 6% 20% 37% 36% 1% Rural 8% 20% 42% 29% 1% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Past 30 days Past 6 mos Past 12 mos More than 12 mos No answerSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for e-reader owners in each communitygroup: Urban=195; Suburban=330; Rural=93. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cellphones. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significantdifference across community type at the 95% confidence level.Who intends to buy either device?When looking at non-owners of these devices, rural residents are most likely to report no plans topurchase either an e-reader or tablet computer in the near future while urban residents are more likelythan their rural counterparts to say they plan to purchase a tablet computer within the next six months.pewinternet.org 20
  21. 21. Plans to purchase an e-reader% of non-owners in each community Urban 9% 7% 82% 3% Suburban 7% 5% 85% 2% Rural 6% 4% 89%* 1% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Within 6 mos Considering but not in 6 mos Not considering No answerSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for non-owners of e-reader: Urban=670,Suburban=1110, Rural=401. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. Anasterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.Plans to purchase a tablet computer% of non-owners in each community Urban 12%* 8% 79% 1% Suburban 9% 8% 81% 2% Rural 6% 6% 88%* 1% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Within 6 mos Considering but not in 6 mos Not considering No answerSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for non-owners of tablet computer:Urban=674, Suburban=1126, Rural=414. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cellphones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.pewinternet.org 21
  22. 22. Why people dont own these devicesThere are very few substantive differences in the reasons respondents give for why they dont own e-readers or tablet computers, and where there are differences, they are related to demographic variationacross community types. Those in rural areas are more likely than others to say they are "too old" (5%vs. 1% urban, 2% suburban) or that they "dont want to learn a new device" (6% vs. 4% urban, 3%suburban), or simply indicate they "dont know" why they dont want an e-reader (8% vs. 3% urban, 4%suburban). Suburban residents are more likely than rural residents to say they already have too manydevices (21% vs. 15%), while urban residents are more likely than those in the suburbs to cite cost-related reasons (28% vs. 23%) for why they dont own a tablet computer.Reasons for Non-Ownership Vary by Community Type 10% of non-owners in each community type that give each reason for not owning e-readers or tablet computers Rural Suburban Urban 26% Cost-related reasons 23% 28%* 15% Have enough devices 21%* 20% 8%* Dont know 4% 3% 6%* Dont want to learn new 3% device 4% 5%* Too old 2% 1% 0% 20% 40% 60%Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16 - December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for non-owners in each communitygroups: E-readers non-owners - Urban=670; Suburban=1110; Rural=401. Tablet computer non-owners:Urban=674; Suburban=1126; Rural=414. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cellphones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.10 The data for the first two reasons "Cost-related" and "Have enough devices" are based on those who do not ownan E-reader. The data for the last three reasons "Dont know", "Dont want to learn a new device" and "Too old"are based on those who do not own a tablet computer.pewinternet.org 22
  23. 23. Part 4: The State of E-Book ReadingWhen asked about the impact electronic and digital material availability has on reading habits, urbanresidents are more likely than suburban residents to say they are spending more time reading now thatcontent is available digitally. Suburban residents say they are spending about the same amount of timereading as they have in the past.Availability of e-content promotes more reading for some% of those who read e-content in each community who say they read more or less or the same amount withavailability of digital content Urban 36%* 6% 57% 1% Suburban 28% 7% 64%* 1% Rural 29% 7% 64% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% More Less Same No answerSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for e-readers in each community:Urban=478, Suburban=813, Rural=225. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cellphones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.Overall, device owners across communities read e-content on e-readers, tablet computers, and cellphones about equally. One finding of note: Rural residents are more likely than either urban orsuburban residents to read e-content on a computer at least a few times a week (31% rural vs. 18%urban, 14% suburban).pewinternet.org 23
  24. 24. Part 5: Where and How Readers Get Their BooksReader preferences for where and how they get their books are surprisingly similar across communitytypes, yet the source of recommendations for new books to read and the way in which readers begintheir search for e-books do show some interesting differences across communities.Urban, suburban, and rural residents are similar in whether they prefer to buy or borrow print, e-books,or audiobooks and they are comparable in whether their most recent book was purchased or borrowed.However, suburban residents depend more on family members, friends, and co-workers for suggestionsfor new books to read, and rural residents are least likely to rely on the staff of a bookstore for readingrecommendations, perhaps because there are fewer bookstores in their vicinity.Suburban and urban residents rely on family, friends, and co-workers forrecommendations% of residents ages 16+ in each community who get reading recommendations from each source… Rural Suburban Urban 60% Family, friend, co-worker 66%* 66% 33% Online bookstore 34% 37% 18% Staff of bookstore 24%* 25%* 21% Library/librarian 19% 19% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16 - December 21,2011. Total sample n=2986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for community groups: Urban=880;Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones.The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant differenceacross community type at the 95% confidence level.pewinternet.org 24
  25. 25. Across all three communities, a large majority of e-readers begin their search for an e-book at an onlinebookstore, but suburban residents are slightly more likely than those living in rural areas to begin theirsearch for an e-book this way.Where the search begins for an e-book% of readers of e-content in each community who look for an e-book first at… Urban 77% 11% 5% 8% Suburban 77%* 12% 5% 7% Rural 65% 19% 2% 15%* 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Online bookstore Public Library Someplace else No answerSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for readers of e-content in eachcommunity: Urban=239; Suburban=417; Rural=108. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landlineand cell phones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidencelevel.Readers of both e-books and print books were asked which type of book is better for different readingactivities such as sharing books with others, reading in bed, reading with a child, or reading whiletraveling. Generally, urban readers are more likely to prefer e-books for many reading activities whilerural readers who have read in both formats tend to prefer print. For reading in bed and offering a wideselection, urban residents are more likely than those in rural communities to say e-books are better.Rural residents, on the other hand, are significantly less likely to say e-books are better than print forsharing books with others. Residents of these different types of communities do not differ from eachother in their views of the best type of book for reading with a child, reading while traveling, or beingable to get books quickly.pewinternet.org 25
  26. 26. Prefer e-book over print for…% of readers of both print and e-content in each community who prefer e-book for each purpose… 100% 80% 60% 58%* 51%* 53% 43% 40% 40% 32%* 34% 25%* 20% 13% 0% Sharing with others Reading in bed Wide selection of content Urban Suburban RuralSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for readers of both print and e-content ineach community: Urban=212; Suburban=372; Rural=94. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and onlandline and cell phones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95%confidence level.pewinternet.org 26
  27. 27. Part 6: Library Use Across CommunitiesPeople in different communities sometimes have different connections to their local library. Suburbanand urban residents are especially likely to have library cards and place value on the local library.Suburban residents are the most likely to have borrowed print or audiobooks from the library in the past12 months. On other aspects of library use, including using the library to access special databases,historical documents or archives, newspaper articles, or magazines/journals, or to get research help, orto borrow e-books, the residents of different communities do not differ.Among those who have borrowed an e-book from the library in the past 12 months, views about thequality of the selection of e-books at the local library and problems encountered when trying to borrowe-books also does not differ across community type. Across all community types, there is a pervasivelack of awareness that libraries loan e-books. Roughly two thirds (63%) of residents in each type ofcommunity say they do not know if their public library loans e-books; two in 10 say their library does.The charts below sketch out some of the differences among communities about their local libraries:Public library use and attitudes toward public libraries across communities% of residents ages 16+ in each community who… 100% 80% 71%* 69%* 59%* 61%* 62% 60% 48% 40% 20% 0% Have a library card Believe library is important Urban Suburban RuralSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for community groups: Urban=880;Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. Marginof error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference acrosscommunity type at the 95% confidence level.pewinternet.org 27
  28. 28. Library borrowing across communities% of residents age 16+ in each community (among those who have read print, read e-book or listened to audiobookin past 12 months) who have borrowed each format from a public library 100% 80% 60% 51%* 45% 45% 45% 43%* 40% 28% 20% 13% 13% 8% 0% Have borrowed print Have borrowed e-book Have borrowed audiobook Urban Suburban RuralSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Sample sizes for print; Urban=682; Suburban=1159;Rural=364. Sample size for e-book; Urban=239; Suburban=417; Rural=108. Sample size for audio book; Urban=120,Suburban=203, Rural=71.Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. Sample sizeprint: Urban=682, Suburban=1159, Rural=364. Sample size e-book: Urban=239, Suburban=417, Rural=108. Samplesize audio-book: Urban=120, Suburban=203, Rural=71. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference acrosscommunity type at the 95% confidence level.Respondents with more limited experience and knowledge of e-reading (those who are not e-readersand have not borrowed e-books from the public library) were asked how likely they would be to usedifferent types of classes to learn about e-book related features of the public library experience. Urbanresidents appear to be the most interested in such activities. Urban residents are more likely than thosein rural communities to say they would be likely to take advantage of classes on how to use handheldreading devices (34% vs. 27%), while rural residents are most likely to say they would not be likely to usesuch classes (71% vs. 64%).Urban and suburban residents are also more likely than rural residents to say they would be likely to usee-book readers already loaded with books if they were made available at the public library (53% urbanvs. 45% suburban, 38% rural).pewinternet.org 28
  29. 29. Likelihood of using different library services% of non e-readers and those who dont borrow e-books from library in each community who would be likely touse… 100% 80% 60% 53%* 45%* 40% 38% 34%* 31% 27% 34% 32% 30% 20% 0% Classes on how to use e-reader Classes on how to download E-book readers already loaded library e-books to e-reader with content Urban Suburban RuralSource: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21,2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Non e-readers or e-readers who dont borrow fromlibrary; Urban=845; Suburban=1405; Rural=494. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline andcell phones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.pewinternet.org 29
  30. 30. Part 7: Differences Between Heavy, Light, andNon-book readers Across Community TypeIn The Rise of E-Reading report we noted that the distribution between heavy and light readers isrelatively even. Among those ages 16 and older who had read a book in the past 12 months:  8% read 1 book  17% 2-3 books  16% 4-5 books  19% 6-10 books  18% 11-20 books  22% more than 20 booksAs part of the analysis of overall reading habits for that report, readers were divided into threecategories of reading frequency: light readers (1-5 books in the past 12 months) comprised 31% of thetotal population 16 and older; moderate readers (6-20 books) comprised 29% of that population; heavyreaders (21 or more books) comprised 17%. The analysis found that heavy readers were more likely tobe women, white, and have higher education levels. Medium and heavy readers were also more likelyto own e-book readers and were more likely to read for pleasure.Frequent vs. less frequent readers: Looking across community typesFor this analysis, we look at how these different types of readers differ across community types;specifically, whether heavy readers in one size community (urban, suburban, rural) differ in their readingattitudes or behaviors from heavy readers in the other community types.Among readers, the amount of book reading that people do does not differ by community type — aboutthree in 10 residents living in each type of community are light readers, another three in 10 aremoderate readers, and about two in 10 are heavy readers. Reading frequency by community size Urban Suburban Rural (n=847) (n=1417) (n=484) % of residents age 16+ who read this number of books in past 12 months… None 18% 17% 26%* Light (1-5 books) 33 33 30 Moderate (6-20 books) 30 32 26 Heavy (21 or more books) 19 18 18 Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21, 2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Total sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880; Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2 percentage points. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.pewinternet.org 30
  31. 31. The analysis of different level readers across community type reveals some differences in overall readinghabits and in attitudes and behaviors related to the local public library, but few differences in e-readingrelated behaviors or attitudes.In overall reading habits, heavy readers in urban and suburban communities are involved in reading forthe acquisition of information and knowledge more so than heavy readers in rural areas. For instance,heavy readers in urban and suburban areas are more likely than those in rural areas to read for work orschool (62% urban, 63% suburban vs. 48% rural) and those in urban areas are more likely than ruralheavy readers to indicate that the learning, information, and knowledge they get from reading is whatthey like best about the activity (33% vs. 18%).Moderate and light readers show some differences across community type in regard to where they getreading recommendations. Moderate readers in rural areas are more likely than other moderate readersto get reading recommendations from a librarian or library website (33% rural vs. 21% urban, 20%suburban) while moderate urban readers are more likely than moderate rural readers to getrecommendations from the staff at a bookstore (34% vs. 22%). Light suburban readers are more likelythan light rural readers to get recommendations from family, friends, or co-workers (68% vs. 56%). Sources of recommendations for reading material among moderate and light readers by community type % of moderate and light readers 16 and over in each community type who report getting recommendations from each source Urban Suburban Rural Moderate Readers (6-20 books) (n=278) (n=494) (n=145) A library or librarian 21% 20% 33%* Staff of a bookstore you visit in 34* 28 22 person Light Readers (1-5 books) (n=253) (n=436) (n=142) A family member, friend, or co- 66% 68%* 56% workers Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21, 2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Total sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880; Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.Overall results by community type reported earlier revealed that suburban residents are more likelythan others to be regular magazine or journal readers, and that among regular readers of thesepublications, urban and suburban residents are more likely than rural residents to read them inelectronic format.Further analysis that examines different levels of intensity of reading in communities shows that evenlight suburban readers are more likely than light rural readers to regularly read magazines or journals(47% vs.35%) and moderate suburban readers are more likely than moderate urban readers to readmagazines and journals regularly (64% vs. 50%). Among those who regularly read newspapers orpewinternet.org 31
  32. 32. magazine/journals, heavy urban and suburban readers are more likely than heavy rural readers to haveread a newspaper (61% urban, 66% suburban vs. 38% rural) or a magazine/journal (44% urban, 40%suburban vs. 21% rural) in electronic format.Many aspects of ownership and use of e-reading devices, as well as attitudes and behaviors related to e-reading, are similar across heavy and light readers in different types of communities. However, lighturban readers are more likely than light suburban readers to say that the availability of e-content hasmade them read more than in the past (39% vs. 23%) and heavy urban readers are more likely thanheavy rural readers to be considering purchasing an e-reader (24% vs. 9%).Those who report a similar level of reading frequency differ across community types in their statedpreference for print or e-books for various reading activities. Heavy urban readers are more likely thantheir rural counterparts to prefer e-books most of the time (50% vs. 22%).11 For the specific readingactivity of “sharing with others,” moderate and heavy urban readers are more likely than rural moderateand heavy readers to prefer e-books over printed books (31% vs. 5% moderate readers and 31% vs. 12%for heavy readers). Moderate suburban readers are more likely than moderate urban readers to preferprint over e-books when they want to obtain a book quickly (11% vs. 3%).Attitudes toward and use of the local public library differ across heavy readers in different types ofcommunities. Heavy suburban readers are more likely than heavy urban readers to have a library card(82% vs. 68%), as are light urban and suburban readers when compared with light rural readers (58%urban, 56% suburban vs. 41% rural). On a general measure of library use, heavy suburban readers aremore likely than heavy urban readers to have used the library at all in the past 12 months (84% vs. 65%)and specifically to have borrowed books (70% vs. 58%). Heavy suburban readers are more likely thanheavy rural readers to say their library loans e-books (37% vs. 18%).11 Most of the time is a summary measure that indicates a preference for one or the other type of book 4 or moretimes when asked about six different reading activities - reading with a child, reading in bed, sharing books withothers, having a wide selection of books to choose from, reading while traveling or commuting, being able to get abook quickly.pewinternet.org 32
  33. 33. Library use among heavy and light readers by community size Urban Suburban Rural Heavy Readers (21+ books) (n=198) (n=315) (n=112) Have a library card 68% 82%* 74% Total used library past 12 65 84* 77 months Borrowed books 58 70* 58 Library loans e-books 31 37* 18 Light Readers (1-5 books) (n=253) (n=436) (n=142) Have a library card 58%* 56%* 41% Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16-December 21, 2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Total sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880; Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.Non-book readersThe Rise of E-Reading report also included a profile of non-book readers (18% of the population ages 16or older) which showed that overall, non-book readers are more likely to be male than female (23% vs.14%), Hispanic rather than white or black (28% vs. 17% and 16%), ages 65 or older (27%), lacking a highschool diploma (34%), living in households earning less than $30,000 (26%), unemployed (22%), andresidents of rural areas (25%).While those living in rural areas are more likely than those in other communities to be non-bookreaders, a closer look at non-book readers across community type shows many similar patterns ofreading-related behavior and attitudes.There are few statistically significant differences between non-book readers from these different typesof communities and the differences that do emerge generally coincide with overall patterns ofcommunity differences. For example, the overall differences between rural residents and those insuburban and urban communities regarding attitudes toward and use of the local public library do notchange when looking at non-book readers across community type.Interest in participating in library classes on e-reading related topics is stronger among urban non-bookreaders than suburban or rural non-book readers. Non-book readers in suburban and rural areas aremore likely than urban non-book readers to say they are not likely to take library classes on downloadinge-content (79% suburban, 81% rural, vs. 57% urban) or use e-readers already loaded with content (72%suburban, 81% rural, vs. 59% urban) and non-book readers in rural areas are more likely than non-bookreaders in urban or suburban areas to say they are not likely to take classes in how to use e-readers(86% rural vs. 63% urban, 74% suburban).pewinternet.org 33
  34. 34. Library use and attitudes among non-book readers by community size Urban Suburban Rural Percent of non-book readers who… Have a library card 35% 37%* 23% Think library is important 57* 50* 32 Percent of non-book readers who are NOT likely to use each library resource Classes on how to use e-readers 63 74 86* Classes on how to download library e-books 57 79* 81* to handheld device E-readers already loaded with e-content 59 72* 81* Source: The Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Reading Habits Survey, November 16- December 21, 2011. Total sample n=2,986 respondents age 16 and older. Total sample sizes for community groups are: Urban=880; Suburban=1468; Rural=504. Interviews conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference across community type at the 95% confidence level.In addition, comparing non-book readers and readers across community type shows that urban andsuburban non-book readers are more likely than moderate and heavy readers in those communities tohave a physical or health condition that makes reading difficult. Rural non-book readers are not morelikely than rural readers to cite physical reasons suggesting that the reasons for non-reading may differacross communities.pewinternet.org 34
  35. 35. MethodologyReading Habits SurveyPrepared by Princeton Survey Research Associates Internationalfor the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project withsupport from the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationDecember 2011SummaryThe Reading Habits Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Projectwith support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, obtained telephone interviews with a nationallyrepresentative sample of 2,986 people ages 16 and older living in the United States. Interviews wereconducted via landline (nLL=1,526) and cell phone (nC=1,460, including 677 without a landline phone).The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The interviews wereadministered in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source from November 16 to December 21, 2011.Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of samplingerror for results based on the complete set of weighted data is ±2.2 percentage points. Results based onthe 2,571 internet users have a margin of sampling error of ±2.3 percentage points.Details on the design, execution and analysis of the survey are discussed below.Design and Data Collection ProceduresSample DesignA combination of landline and cellular random digit dial (RDD) samples was used to represent all adultsin the United States who have access to either a landline or cellular telephone. Both samples wereprovided by Survey Sampling International, LLC (SSI) according to PSRAI specifications.Numbers for the landline sample were drawn with equal probabilities from active blocks (area code +exchange + two-digit block number) that contained three or more residential directory listings. Thecellular sample was not list-assisted, but was drawn through a systematic sampling from dedicatedwireless 100-blocks and shared service 100-blocks with no directory-listed landline numbers.Contact ProceduresInterviews were conducted from November 16 to December 21, 2011. As many as seven attempts weremade to contact every sampled telephone number. Sample was released for interviewing in replicates,which are representative subsamples of the larger sample. Using replicates to control the release ofsample ensures that complete call procedures are followed for the entire sample. Calls were staggeredover times of day and days of the week to maximize the chance of making contact with potentialrespondents. Interviewing was spread as evenly as possible across the days in field. Each telephonenumber was called at least one time during the day in an attempt to complete an interview.For the landline sample, interviewers asked to speak with the youngest adult male or female currently athome based on a random rotation. If no male/female was available, interviewers asked to speak withthe youngest adult of the other gender. This systematic respondent selection technique has been shownpewinternet.org 35
  36. 36. to produce samples that closely mirror the population in terms of age and gender when combined withcell interviewing.For the cellular sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered the phone.Interviewers verified that the person was an adult and in a safe place before administering the survey.Cellular respondents were offered a post-paid cash reimbursement for their participation.Calls were made to the landline and cell samples until 1,125 interviews were completed in each. Oncethose targets were hit, screening for e-book and tablet owners was implemented. During the screening,anyone who did not respond with having an e-book or tablet device was screened-out as ineligible. Allothers continued the survey until approximately 700 e-Reader/tablet owners were interviewed overall.Weighting and analysisThe first stage of weighting corrected for the oversampling of tablet and e-reader users via screeningfrom the landline and cell sample frames. The second stage of weighting corrected for differentprobabilities of selection associated with the number of adults in each household and each respondent’stelephone usage patterns.12 This weighting also adjusts for the overlapping landline and cell sampleframes and the relative sizes of each frame and each sample. This first-stage weight for the ith case can be expressed as: Where SLL = size of the landline sample SCP = size of the cell phone sample ADi = Number of adults in the household R = Estimated ratio of the land line sample frame to the cell phone sample frameThe equations can be simplified by plugging in the values for SLL = 1,526 and SCP = 1,460. Additionally, wewill estimate of the ratio of the size of landline sample frame to the cell phone sample frame R = 1.03.The final stage of weighting balances sample demographics to population parameters. The sample isbalanced to match national population parameters for sex, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, region(U.S. Census definitions), population density, and telephone usage. The Hispanic origin was split outbased on nativity; U.S born and non-U.S. born. The White, non-Hispanic subgroup is also balanced onage, education and region. The basic weighting parameters came from a special analysis of the CensusBureau’s 2010 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) that included all households in the12 i.e., whether respondents have only a landline telephone, only a cell phone, or both kinds of telephone.pewinternet.org 36
  37. 37. United States. The population density parameter was derived from Census 2000 data. The cell phoneusage parameter came from an analysis of the July-December 2010 National Health Interview Survey.1314Weighting was accomplished using Sample Balancing, a special iterative sample weighting program thatsimultaneously balances the distributions of all variables using a statistical technique called the DemingAlgorithm. Weights were trimmed to prevent individual interviews from having too much influence onthe final results. The use of these weights in statistical analysis ensures that the demographiccharacteristics of the sample closely approximate the demographic characteristics of the nationalpopulation. Table 1 compares weighted and unweighted sample distributions to population parameters. Table 1: Sample Demographics Parameter (16+) Unweighted Weighted Gender Male 48.6 47.2 48.9 Female 51.4 52.8 51.1 Age 16-24 16.0 15.0 14.2 25-34 17.3 14.0 15.1 35-44 17.0 14.9 17.3 45-54 18.7 17.6 18.7 55-64 14.8 17.3 18.5 65+ 16.2 21.2 16.2 Education Less than HS Graduate 16.8 11.5 15.5 HS Graduate 33.8 26.7 33.3 Some College 23.1 23.3 23.9 College Graduate 26.3 38.5 27.3 Race/Ethnicity White/not Hispanic 68.0 73.1 67.7 Black/not Hispanic 11.7 10.8 11.9 Hisp - US born 6.4 6.5 6.8 Hisp - born outside 7.5 4.3 7.3 Other/not Hispanic 6.2 5.3 6.2 Region Northeast 18.5 15.8 18.2 Midwest 22.0 24.1 22.7 South 36.9 37.3 37.0 West 22.6 22.7 22.113 Blumberg SJ, Luke JV. Wireless substitution: Early release of estimates from the National Health InterviewSurvey, July-December, 2010. National Center for Health Statistics. June 2011.14 The phone use parameter used for this 16+ sample is the same as the parameter we use for all 18+ surveys. Inother words, no adjustment was made to account for the fact that the target population for this survey is slightlydifferent than a standard 18+ general population survey.pewinternet.org 37
  38. 38. County Pop. Density 1 - Lowest 20.1 23.6 20.3 2 20.0 21.2 20.1 3 20.1 22.3 20.4 4 20.2 17.6 20.2 5 - Highest 19.6 15.2 18.9 Household Phone Use LLO 9.3 5.0 8.3 Dual/few, some cell 41.7 51.7 42.3 Dual/most cell 18.5 20.6 19.0 CPO 30.5 22.7 30.5Effects of Sample Design on Statistical InferencePost-data collection statistical adjustments require analysis procedures that reflect departures fromsimple random sampling. PSRAI calculates the effects of these design features so that an appropriateadjustment can be incorporated into tests of statistical significance when using these data. The so-called"design effect" or deff represents the loss in statistical efficiency that results from systematic non-response. The total sample design effect for this survey is 1.46.PSRAI calculates the composite design effect for a sample of size n, with each case having a weight, wias: n n  wi 2 deff  i 1 2  n  formula 1   wi   i 1 In a wide range of situations, the adjusted standard error of a statistic should be calculated bymultiplying the usual formula by the square root of the design effect (√deff ). Thus, the formula forcomputing the 95% confidence interval around a percentage is:  p(1  p )  ˆ ˆ p   deff  1.96 ˆ    formula 2  n  ˆwhere p is the sample estimate and n is the unweighted number of sample cases in the group beingconsidered. The survey’s margin of error is the largest 95% confidence interval for any estimated proportionbased on the total sample— the one around 50%. For example, the margin of error for the entire sampleis ±2.2 percentage points. This means that in 95 out every 100 samples drawn using the samemethodology, estimated proportions based on the entire sample will be no more than 2.2 percentagepoints away from their true values in the population. It is important to remember that samplingfluctuations are only one possible source of error in a survey estimate. Other sources, such aspewinternet.org 38
  39. 39. respondent selection bias, questionnaire wording and reporting inaccuracy, may contribute additionalerror of greater or lesser magnitude.Response RateTable 2 reports the disposition of all sampled telephone numbers ever dialed from the originaltelephone number samples. The response rate estimates the fraction of all eligible respondents in thesample that were ultimately interviewed. At PSRAI it is calculated by taking the product of threecomponent rates:15 Contact rate – the proportion of working numbers where a request for interview was made16 Cooperation rate – the proportion of contacted numbers where a consent for interview was at least initially obtained, versus those refused Completion rate – the proportion of initially cooperating and eligible interviews that were completedThus the response rate for the landline sample was 14 percent. The response rate for the cellular samplewas 11 percent. Table 2: Sample Disposition Landline Cell 66,518 60,997 Total Numbers Dialed 2,876 919 Non-residential 3,004 142 Computer/Fax 16 ---- Cell phone 32,283 22,623 Other not working 3,844 887 Additional projected not working 24,495 36,426 Working numbers 36.8% 59.7% Working Rate 1,281 296 No Answer / Busy 7,092 13,997 Voice Mail 118 27 Other Non-Contact 16,004 22,106 Contacted numbers 65.3% 60.7% Contact Rate 902 3,485 Callback 11,408 14,644 Refusal 3,694 3,977 Cooperating numbers 23.1% 18.0% Cooperation Rate 104 129 Language Barrier 1,960 2,362 Childs cell phone / Oversample Screenout 1,630 1,486 Eligible numbers15 PSRAI’s disposition codes and reporting are consistent with the American Association for Public OpinionResearch standards.16 PSRAI assumes that 75 percent of cases that result in a constant disposition of “No answer” or “Busy” areactually not working numbers.pewinternet.org 39
  40. 40. 44.1% 37.4% Eligibility Rate 104 26 Break-off 1,526 1,460 Completes 93.6% 98.3% Completion Rate 14.1% 10.7% Response Ratepewinternet.org 40

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