“Det är rätt lyxigt att kunna läsa på alla dessa sätt”: En studie om e-boksanvändares upplevelser av att läsa och använda e-böcker

E-book reading is not as widespread in Sweden as in other technically comparable countries such as the USA, England and Germany. This has to do partly with a limited commercial market, as well as with the nature of distribution of e-books through libraries which are at the forefront of making e-books accessible in Sweden. Although e-books and the Swedish e-book market have gained attention among researchers and market actors in the recent decade, there is one perspective often missing in discussions about e-books: that of the actual users. E-book users’ perceptions of e-books when it comes to reading, functionality and accessibility are rarely observed in research studies, newspaper articles or official documents about e- books in Sweden. The purpose of this study is to generate an understanding of e-books and e-book reading from a user perspective. We have conducted a qualitative interview study in which we have interviewed 13 e-book users to gain knowledge about why they choose to read e-books as well as experiences and opinions of e-books. The study is based on two theoretical approaches: science and technology studies (STS) and diffusion theory. From these perspectives we have chosen to focus on concepts of users and non-users as well as on perceived attributes of innovations, to seek explanations to how and why people adopt or refuse new technology, in this case the e-book, and how they use and perceive this technology. The results of our study show several obstacles to e-book reading, such as technical challenges in the use and compatibility of reading devices, economical considerations, and expectations and perceptions of reading e-books compared to printed books. Printed books are, by most of the informants, still perceived as superior to the e-book in more emotional aspects, whereas the e-book is appreciated for being more practical in certain situations. Most informants look at e-books as a complement to reading printed books. The study also shows that the development of the e-book market is hindered by factors such as the invisibility of e-book reading in society, and difficulties in trying out e-books or reading devices in advance of becoming a regular user. (Less)