Patterns of use of electronic books

In order to understand the patterns of use of electronic books, total netLibrary usage for one year for five academic institutions was collected. Ranked use by number of titles closely fit the power curve, a model known to describe modern developments such as airport hubs and Internet links. A chi-square test of independence compared subject use by library and showed a modest institutional effect. Subjects were ranked by popularity. Computers, technology, and specific sciences were more popular than traditional social sciences and humanities. Implications for acquisitions decisions are reviewed.