Those with e-Readers read more

A new Harris Interactive poll suggests that the rise of eBooks and readers may actually prove a boon for the book industry.  Respondents who use an e-Reader report reading more books a year than people who don't.

Books Read In A Year (All adults; % of Respondents by Group)
			e-Reader		Generation
Read	Total 2010	Total 2011	Use	Does not use	Echo Boomers (18-34)	Gen. X (35-65)	Baby Boomers (47-65)	Matures (66+)
0	9%	15%	8%	18%	13%	19%	17%	12%
1-2	14	14	7	15	9	15	18	11
3-5	20	20	14	21	23	17	20	17
6-10	16	15	18	15	17	14	14	16
11-20	21	16	32	13	20	14	14	15
21+	19	20	27	19	19	20	17	29
Source: Harris Interactive, September 2011 (Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding)

 Those using e-Readers also report buying more books in the last year (59% buy 6 or more), compared to non-eReader users (71% buy 5 or fewer, and 36% report not buying any).
  Now this doesn't necessarily mean that getting an e-Reader causes increases in reading and book-buying - in fact the causality is more likely in the opposite direction.  That is, people who read a lot and buy books are more likely to be owners of e-Readers - they likely perceive greater value in what are still fairly expensive devices.
  To address this question, and another criticism that with the ease of downloading books, some people may buy more but still read the same number of books, the Harris survey asked a series of question about reading habits.  (As an aside, the same argument about buying more books than you could read can also be applied to printed books, as witnessed by the stacks of unread books in my home and office).
  The survey found that about half of the sample reported reading about the same amount as they did six months ago, a result that was fairly consistent over time and when looking at e-Reader use.  However, of the half who reported a change in reading habits, e-Reader users split heavily towards reading more (36% more, 8% less), while those not using e-Readers split in favor of reading less (24% less, 16% more).  Another question asked whether respondents purchased more, but did not read them as much as before; 4% of eReader users said yes, while 3% of non-users agreed.  However, I have to say that's a really poorly worded question - it may be designed to specifically test that specific criticism - but it's a confusing compound question that really doesn't add much.
  The survey also reported e-Reader use at 15%, with another 15% anticipating that they will be getting one in the next six months.  They provide some breakdowns in terms of types of books (genres) read, but the responses are broken down by generation (age ranges) and gender, not e-Reader usage.

The Harris results are generally supportive of the developing trends in e-Reader use and eBook sales, although the phrasing of the questions and breakdowns aren't all that insightful.  Use and consumption of digital books continues to increase, with greatest adoption by heavy readers, and a suggestion that e-Reader users end up reading more and buying more books..  See the previous blog post on the Kindle Fire for more discussion on the implications for the book industry, and the implications of cheaper e-Readers.

Sources - EReaders Read More, Research Brief from the Center for Media Research
One in Six Americans Now Use E-Reader with One in Six Likely to Purchase in Next Six Months, Harris Interactive press release