The rapid and pervasive emergence of the Internet, continuous technological advancementsin design and production of electronic devices and the ongoing digitization of written texts has led to the emergence of a new phenomenon called electronic book or e-book After twenty years of development, this term is often used in the context of a 'threat' for printed book. It presents a challenge for libraries, librarians, publishers and readers themselves. The advent of electronic books lead to the development of electronic readers that support different formats of text files. E-books compared to the printed book, have their advantages and disadvantages. Although the dominance of electronic books is the most evident in the US, the thesis deals with their occurrence and use in the Republic of Croatia. The theoretical part deals with the development, terminology, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of e-books and technological tools for their access (e-readers and e-formats). The methodology is based on the analysis of a questionnaire intended for Croatian publishers who were available and willing to participate. The purpose of the study was to reflect and to draw conclusionsabout the future of electronic books in Croatia in the publishing field and discuss if it is a a real and present opportunity for Croatian publishers or if the time is not yet ripe for the development of the e-book market in Croatia.