This thesis investigates e-book usage among students in Swedish universities, examining patterns of adoption, influencing factors, and perceptions of accessibility and effectiveness. Despite standardised access to digital resources, student engagement with e-books remains uneven. To address this gap, the study applies the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) as a theoretical framework and employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data.

Data were collected in spring 2024 through an online questionnaire distributed to students at the University of Borås and Luleå University of Technology. A total of 86 valid responses were analysed. Quantitative data were examined using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and regression analysis, while qualitative responses were thematically coded to capture students’ experiences and reflections.

The results show that laptops and PDFs dominate e-book usage, confirming earlier trends, but engagement is strongly shaped by institutional support, prior digital experience, and perceptions of usability. While many students valued the accessibility and convenience of e-books, barriers such as screen fatigue, usability challenges, and limited awareness of available collections were identified. Importantly, the study found no statistically significant differences in e-book engagement between undergraduate and graduate students. 

Data collection relied on self-selection sampling, where students voluntarily participated in the online survey after being made aware of it through institutional and social media channels. The study concludes that effective integration of e-books into higher education requires more than broad access. It depends on strengthening digital literacy training, improving platform usability, and embedding e-books into teaching and research practices. Although constrained by a small and non-representative sample, the study contributes to Library and Information Science by offering updated insights into digital resource adoption in Swedish universities and highlighting strategies to support student learning in digital environments.