School has been underway for about two months now. A recent transition in textbooks is proving to be quite interesting. The vast majority of textbooks are converting to ebooks, due to their lower retail cost, after publishers were unable to turn a profit selling new books. Buying used books or renting textbooks proved to be much cheaper for the consumer, but was hurting textbook publishers’ bottom line. E-books are putting new textbooks back in the running.
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12.4 billion dollars were spent on textbook sales in the 2012-2013 academic year, and 27% of that was in digital. 77% of college students also preferred having their textbooks in a digital format. Carrying a Kindle or iPad with 6 textbooks is much easier than hauling 6 textbooks in a backpack from class to class. These facts apparent, publishers knew a transition was in order. Continuing to change with the times, as an added bonus digital textbooks are interactive. This feature allows students to use electronic flashcards, take online quizzes, and share notes with their peers and study groups online.
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Transitioning to e-books is proving to be beneficial for all parties. Since e-books are a lower cost option than buying a new textbook (and minimally more expensive, if at all, than buying a used text) the publishers are yet again profiting. Students enjoy the interactive approach, and not having to haul around a backpack filled with heavy books. Educators are benefiting from e-books due to the interactive feature. With the quizzes and flashcards, students are able to retain more information. Also, seeing one e-reader is far, far less intimidating than a sky high stack of textbooks sitting on a library table. With all this positive feedback, e-books are projected to be used as the sole form of text by 75% of students within the next decade.
