An epub compass

What we learned from a survey of Kansas State University

Research and Extension faculty and staff

Circumstances• Many pubs• Unwieldy website• Increasing device use (true for our editors

and, presumably, our audience) • Administrator curiosity (such as apps and

QR codes), but no new staff or funds

Goals• Serve the public and its evolving

needs/desires for information without extra budget or staff

• Compete with other information sources, which often provide many formats (iPad magazines, ebooks, and mobile versions of sites)

The big picture“Between 2017 and 2019 smartphones will be the only mobile phones Americans will use .”

Source: ASYMCO (with data from The New York Times) April 11, 2012

Dedicated e-reader sales are highest in Lexington, Ann Arbor, Anchorage, Madison, Greenville, DC, Pittsburgh, and Des Moines (not urban “elite” areas!). But e-readers aren’t all that popular anywhere compared with the iPad.

Source: The Atlantic, April 18, 2012

“A Snapshot of E-reader and Tablet Owners”

PewInternet, January 27, 2012

•Ownership of these two devices jumped from 18% in December 2011 to 29% in January 2012 . •Only 26% of tablet owners are age 18–29 , and only 20% of e-reader owners are 18–29.

• Figures for e-reader vs. tablet owners don’t differ drastically by household income, race, or education level. Owners:– Are 67% white– Probably make more than $50,000 a year

(56%); 42% make more than $75,000– Are even more likely to make more than

$30,000 (76%) – Are very likely to have some college or a

college or advanced degree (72%)

Farmers and mobile technology

• AgWeb.com and Commodity Update found that 47% of 800 farmers surveyed use a smartphone (May 9, 2012)– Of those who don’t, 17% plan to upgrade

in the next 6 months – 20% use a tablet (majority: iPad) and 9%

plan to purchase in less than 6 months

• A 2011 survey by Successful Farming magazine found that 43% of farmers with a mobile phone said they own a smartphone– This was a higher adoption rate than the

general public; Nielsen said about one-third at the time

– May 8, 2012 : Nielsen survey said that as of March, 50.4% of U.S. mobile subscribers owned a smartphone

What others are doing• New Mexico State : Extension pubs as

ebooks, html, PDF, and mobi (Kindle) (free)• Louisiana State : “Louisiana Agriculture”

magazine as epub (free)• Utah State : A few extension pubs on

Amazon Kindle ($.99 or $1.99)

• Texas A&M : No ebooks yet•Ontario: Fact sheets (4- to 8-page

technical pubs) for agriculture and environment (free)

We decided to address the question of whether to produce publications as ebooks

with a survey of KSRE faculty and staff.

Survey objectives1. Census: Devices,

demographics. What information do you want in terms of format and content?

2. Experience: What you access, how it works, what challenges you have encountered, where you found it.

3. Future : What programming do you want? What has potential?

Survey participation• Sent to approximately 1,500 KSRE faculty

and staff with IRB approval.• 209 completed surveys; 273 began the

survey.• Problem with question 1 about devices:

The question didn’t allow more than one response. Many respondents checked one, then left a comment with other devices, so we counted devices mentioned and added them to our totals.

Results: Census• 30 iPads• 32 PDA/palmtop computers• 21 ebook readers• 120 smartphones• 110 none of the above. We found

this number shocking.• Many people own more than one device

(at least 45).

• In response to a question about types of programming for tablets or smartphones, we saw many “I don’t know” or “I don’t need it” or “wouldn’t work” responses (@40)

• Handful of “Everything!” responses

Positive comment

• “Video-based ‘fact sheets.’ I recently downloaded on the iPad the O magazine app and then an old (free) volume of the magazine. The magazine became very interactive …. That format seemed really user friendly and interactive. Could we have a KSRE app??? Maybe we could publish a “magazine” monthly or quarterly?”

Negative comments• “I do not like to advocate the use of

tablets or smartphones for education (although I fear it may be the direction we are heading). Tablets are best used reading books and newspapers …. Smartphones are not available to all, due to cost (I can’t even afford one) and availability of decent connectivity if outside tower range.”

Negative comments• “As for the question below, ‘Do you foresee

planning educational programs that use tablets or smartphones as a means of delivery?,’ one may foresee it, but at the cost of instructors and the personal contact that a classroom offers. A sad day it will be!”

Program suggestions • Gardening • 4-H• Prenatal and infant nutrition• Parenting• Food safety• Plant or crop pests or diseases • Items for younger audiences and brief items

(videos, lessons, fact sheets, link-heavy resources)

Occupations of respondents

Demographics

Device access

Results: Experience

Used an ebook?

Source of online information• Usually Google or another search engine • Comments about KSRE website : – “I can find K-State information easier through

Google”– “KSRE website is difficult to navigate– “KSRE search engine is AWFUL”

• Received at least 8 complaints about our site or search, perhaps partly due to Google Search Appliance

Topics needed away from office?

Format preference

Results: FutureSome enthusiasm, but also reservations • Reaching those who can’t afford the

devices• Inability to update ebooks after they are

downloaded

What they want as ebooks• 4-H project books, leader training• “pest and plant ID” • “Prairie star flowers, gardening information, recipes

and nutrition tips”• Youth competitive event rules and regulations • Garden Guide • “food safety, cooking, storage”• “publications in all areas,” “any of the publications”

Plan to use tablets, smartphones for programs?

What now?

• Post the same pub in different formats and see what is downloaded.

• Provide links in weekly KSRE email newsletter to drive faculty and staff to alternate formats.

• Promote with social media.• Overcome barriers to epub adoption.

Problems• Survey issues already mentioned• Questionable responses (i.e., farmers with

nothing but desktops)• Survey provided no clear direction• Lack of administrative and client demand• Rate of change in this area: Survey is

already outdated

Problems

• Some of our best ideas for mobile information do not lend themselves to the epub format– Table-intensive– Large graphics

• Unsure of final destination for epub– Authors have stated interest in iPad-specific

design

Best-case scenario• Identify specialists or agents with

programming ideas that fit the epub format and produce more examples.

• Show audience that we have different formats available. Promote alternatives so people know about them.

• Drive better website design so those who prefer html will be happier.

Technical details•Adobe InDesign 5.5•Training from outside group for two staff members•Samples to show•Other formats?– Interactive PDF– HTML development

What are YOU doing?• What are your plans and challenges? • What does your audience use or want to use?• What ebook formats are you using?• How does ebook production gel with your

workflow? What changes did you need to make? • How do you promote ebooks?

Thank you

• Linda Gilmore, lindagi@k-state.edu• Sarah Hancock, sarhan@k-state.edu• Amy Hartman, ahartman@k-state.edu• Donna Sheffield, dsheffie@k-state.edu• Mark Stadtlander, mark@k-state.edu• Nancy Zimmerli-Cates, Janie Dunstan