Where Do Kids Find the Books They Read for Pleasure? Libraries, Amazon
Despite their waning influence among children when it comes to book recommendations, libraries are still the No. 1 place kids acquire the books they read for pleasure, according to a new report from Bowker Market Research.
At the same time, libraries are no longer the top place where kids discover new books. Recommendations from friends and family was the No. 1 in this latest iteration of Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age, the report presented at the Publishers Launch Children’s Publishing Goes Digital in New York*.
The top six places kids up to thirteen-years-old get the books they read for pleasure:
1. Public Library
2. Amazon.com
3. Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club
4. Barnes & Noble
5. School Library
6. Scholastic Book Clubs
Meanwhile, where children discover what they want to read next is changing. Perhaps in a nod to the current online and social era, recommendations from friends and family is now the No. 1 way that kids discover new books.
Top three places kids get recommendations for new books:
1. Friends and family
2. Bookstore browsing
3. Library
Other Interesting Tidbits From the Report
– While over 40% of parents with young children say they read ebooks, a number that is increasing, some two-thirds of them still prefer their kids read print books, a number that has remained stead over the past three iterations of the report.
– Most kids say that books are equally important to other media. They like to balance media. Males are more likely to say that books are less important to them.
– Where do teens go to get books? 1. Amazon (increasingly popular); 2. Bookstores (decreasing popularity); 3. Libraries (decreasing popularity).
Conclusions From Presenters
Bowker Market Research’s Carl Kulo and Bookigee’s Kristen McLean, founder of publishing tech start-up Bookigee, drew some conclusions from the data:
– The children’s market is extremely stable. Changes are incremental.
– Kids are omnivorous media consumers.
– Marked decline in bookstore and library influence.
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The Bowker report was based on an online survey conducted in the fall of 2012 among 1,000 parents of children aged 0-to-6, 1,000 parents of children aged 7-to-13 and 1,000 parents with teen kids, thirteen-to-eighteen.
* This event was sold out. For those who missed out, Digital Book World Conference + Expo offers an afternoon of children’s publishing-focused programming tomorrow at the main conference. Register online here or show up at the Hilton New York Hotel to register at the location.
