Who is the "Educated Lay Reader"?
The "educated lay reader" has long been a foundational concept in scholarly publishing—often invoked by editors and marketers as a target audience, yet rarely identified with precision. Traditionally, these readers were seen as a "dark universe" of users outside of academia whose motivations remained largely invisible. Systematic coding of thousands of responses to the U-M Press free ebook survey helps shed light on use of academic ebooks beyond the Academy
Like a mythological creature, the ‘educated lay reader’ for monographs is often invoked but seldom described. Reviewers dangle ‘use beyond the academy’, editors add speculative ‘academic trade’ buyers into title budgets, designers wrangle alluring covers, and sales teams stalk recalcitrant booksellers. Researchers Diana Hicks (Georgia Tech) and Ameet Doshi (Princeton) have been working with the University of Michigan Press (UMP) to study survey responses from 1,000s of university press ebook readers from outside universities and colleges, seeking to discover who they are and why they use academic books. A presentation at the University Press Redux conference in Liverpool, UK, on March 17, 2026, shared some initial results. The slides are shared here. The analysis makes use of data voluntarily shared by users of the 1,000+ open-access books that have been made available on the University of Michigan's Fulcrum platform by University of Michigan Press and partner publishers. It builds on an innovative taxonomy of readers developed by Hicks, Doshi, and colleagues based on analysis of use of National Academies consensus reports.
Who is Reading? Academic vs. Public Use
The findings from the UMP reader responses challenge the assumption that university press books are exclusively for scholars. While academic use (researchers, students, and teachers) remains the largest single category at 44%, a significant majority—56%—are non-academic users.
The study categorized these public motivations into several key areas:
- Work-Related Interests: Beyond the classroom, readers include librarians, lawyers, journalists, and artists using scholarly books for professional projects.
- Personal Edification and "Serious Leisure": This includes "self-improvers" and "independent researchers" who engage in a systematic, self-directed pursuit of knowledge.
- Identity and Experience: Many readers seek out titles that speak to their personal history or identity. For example, readers of Academic Ableism often identified as university members with disabilities, while Farm Boys attracted readers interested in rural LGBTQ+ history.
- Social Connection: Readers often discover books through "other people," such as author guest lectures, book clubs, or social media recommendations.
Measuring "Fervency" and Impact
The analysis reveals that public engagement often follows a progression of "fervency": starting with simple attention and curiosity, moving through absorption, and eventually reaching deep identity and integration. Certain titles bridge these worlds more effectively than others; for instance, Academic Ableism and Coronavirus Politics ranked in the top 10 for both academic and public interest.
Moving from Knowledge to Action
University of Michigan Press is now using these insights to better serve this newly visible audience through several initiatives:
- The Voracious Reader Newsletter: A monthly newsletter launched in February 2026 specifically for "dedicated self-improvers" and those seeking free-to-read scholarship.
- Public Library Accessibility: A partnership with Lyrasis and The Palace Project to make open-access titles from Big Ten university presses more easily available to public library patrons.
- Statewide Access: Collaborating with other Michigan university presses and the Library of Michigan to ensure regional ebooks are freely accessible to all residents of the state via ReadMichigan.org
By understanding the diverse motivations of the educated lay reader, the Press can move beyond simply providing access and begin actively cultivating a more inclusive and equitable global readership.