The Information Professional

Based on in-depth research among a national sample of nearly 2500 participants and Library Journal editorial analysis, this groundbreaking study—the first to target library consumers in the context of all consumers—unveils who uses public libraries"

"... regular public library users don’t just borrow books. They are also active books buyers who make many of their purchasing decisions based on the authors or books they first discover in the library.

In fact, over 50 percent of all library users go on to purchase books by an author they were introduced to in the library.

This finding is just one of the many key insights to emerge from “Library Patrons and Ebook Usage,” the first issue of Library Journal’s Patron Profiles: Understanding the behavior and preferences of U.S. public library users. Based on in-depth research among a national sample of nearly 2500 participants and Library Journal editorial analysis, this groundbreaking study—the first to target library consumers in the context of all consumers—unveils who uses public libraries, why they use them, and how that use may change.
“Patron Profiles looks at the library patron as consumer of content—physical and digital—and analyzes the relationship between the library and other channels, from brick-and-mortar bookstores to ebooks to Netflix,” said Ian Singer, Library Journal’s VP and Group Publisher. “At a time of rapid technological and social change, librarians, publishers and technology providers need to understand consumer attitudes while developing approaches to meet market demand and needs, and this in-depth research will help inform strategic planning.”

http://www.thedigitalshift.com/research/patron-profiles/