Paper still prevails over e-books, finds U.S. study

ENTERTAINMENT

Paper still prevails over e-books, finds U.S. study

The Associated Press Published Thursday, September 1, 2016 11:27AM EDT

In this Feb. 4, 2011 file photo, Heather Stephenson, a librarian at the Siouxland Library main branc

Heather Stephenson, a librarian at the Siouxland Library main branch, demonstrates how to download a book onto an e-reader on Feb. 4, 2011. (AP / The Argus Leader, Emily Spartz)

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NEW YORK -- Adult readers in the U.S. still strongly favour paper over e-books, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.

Around 65 per cent of those surveyed had read a paperback or hardcover over the past year, compared to 28 per cent who had read an e-book, Pew reported Thursday. Around 40 per cent only read print books, while just 6 per centfavour e-books exclusively. Fourteen per cent said they had listened to an audio book.

E-book sales surged after Amazon.com introduced its Kindle device in 2007. But they began levelling off a few years ago and have even declined for some major publishers.

Overall, 73 per cent of Americans 18 and older read a book over the past year, up one percentage point from 2015 but below the 79 per cent recorded for 2011.