Mamasta Select, a parenting information website, conducted a survey on e-libraries to coincide with Reading Week. It found that 14.4% of respondents would like to use or already use one, while 48.4% said a conventional library was sufficient, suggesting that e-libraries may struggle to gain wider acceptance.
Mamasta Select, one of Japan’s largest parenting information websites, conducted a survey asking about people’s intention to use e-libraries and their views of conventional libraries. The survey was conducted over 2 days, from 19 to 20 September 2026, and received 353 responses from people with children and pregnant people.
A total of 14.4% of respondents said they would like to use an e-library or already use one, while 21.5% said they would like to use one but none was available through their local government. The most common response, however, was “A conventional library is sufficient,” at 48.4%. The results showed that although respondents valued the convenience of e-libraries, many still preferred conventional libraries.
Those supporting e-libraries cited conveniences such as being able to read during spare moments and easily search for books they wanted to borrow. Some said that being able to borrow books from home was appealing for busy mothers, while others said they did not know how to use the service.