Books and textbooks have long been the traditional media in schools, but as e-books become more popular, paper and ink textbooks may become a thing of the past.
E-books, or electronic books, are an alternative to the standard paper page books. E-books, along with handheld e-readers like the Kindle from Amazon.com or the Nook from Barnes and Noble, are mainly marketed as an alternative to buying novels, but the devices can just as easily be used for electronic textbooks.
Here at GCSU, e-books have already become an alternative to carrying around a textbook for some classes.
“You can get (your e-book) right away,” said Janet Tasker, textbook manager at Box Office Books. “It saves students up to five percent.”
Though an electronic copy of a book is cheaper, the bookstore only sold four last year. In addition, not all textbooks are available as e-books.
In addition to selling e-books, GCSU recently ordered around 40 iPads for various departments of the school to use as teaching aids. The iPads can also be used for reading e-book files.
While the online textbooks do not cost as much as their paper counterparts, you have to own some extra equipment to read the digital version.
A standard computer can be used to read e-books and many sites such as Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble’s Web site allow you to download their e-reader programs for free. However, if you want a more portable option you would have to purchase a handheld e-reader, smart phone, or PDA. These devices can range in price at retail stores depending on features.
The major benefits of using an e-reader are the physical differences. Where one textbook can weigh five pounds, e-readers weigh around 10 ounces. Textbooks also take up more space than the average e-reader. If space is limited, an e-reader would be a space-saving alternative to large books.
Also e-books are usually priced lower than regular textbooks.
Students spent an average of $667 in the past year on course material, according to a study conducted by the National Association of College Stores. The study also showed that the average price of a new textbook in a campus bookstore was $64, but this average includes “books and materials not published as textbooks.” The NACS has a list of examples including “novels for literature classes, [biographies] for history courses, or current paperbacks for sociology and political science students.”
No matter what schools decide to do, the important preference is that of the students.
“Use of e-books on campus would probably decrease students’ textbook expenses, provided that the textbook is available in an electronic format and the student owns a means to read the material,” said Lauren Canova, an accounting major. “And it saves trees, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
However, some students prefer the traditional textbooks.
“I’d rather have a book,” said Dawson Roberts, a creative writing major who has used e-books before for his world literature class. “It’s tangible. You can see your progress. But it’s a tough question. The readers themselves are expensive, but the books are cheap.”
Tasker thinks e-books will rise in popularity over time.
“I think in about 8 to 10 years [e-books] will be the way,” Tasker said.