New Freckle Survey Shows Where Americans Get Their Books

The Freckle Report has released its half-year check-in survey on the book sourcing habits of adults in the United States with support from EveryLibrary Institute, a nonprofit organization that supports public libraries.

The Freckle Report is a survey and review of consumer reading habits that gets updated regularly, and for its April 2022 survey, it asked 667 adults in the United States the question “Where did you get that book?”

The answers provide insight into the constantly shifting landscape of print, ebooks, and audiobooks usage in the U.S. The survey also makes it clear how instrumental libraries are in providing access to books.

“This most recent survey shows that libraries help put books in the hands of people,” John Chrastka, Executive Director of EveryLibrary Institute, remarked. “There’s an ongoing misconception that libraries are becoming obsolete, but the survey shows that books and reading continue to be an important part of American culture. Moreover, libraries play a critical role in communities and the culture of reading.”

Mr. Chrastka continued, saying “Libraries continue to lift people up, supplying them with reading material, research material and other resources. And we should continue to support libraries in our communities.”