AU students now have the option to access more online textbooks with an expansion of titles on the Internet, in the library and in the campus bookstore.
Educators anticipate e-textbooks will replace printed textbooks over the next few years, according to The New York Times.
The AU bookstore offers over 40,000 e-books and over 10,000 e-textbooks from eFollett Books and CafeScribe, an e-book vendor and social networking site, according to the campus bookstore Web site.
This is the first semester AU has begun selling e-textbooks on a large scale, said Ward Stevens, AU Campus Bookstore textbook manager. According to Stevens, students can search for books they want, purchase a code and use it to obtain the books. Additionally, CafeScribe can be used as a forum to communicate with other students who have purchased the same books and share their notes.
Although sales records were not available, students have been purchasing e-books, Stevens said. However, not all students are ready to embrace digital textbooks.
"I wouldn't use e-textbooks because if I can't access my computer for some reason, I can't get the book," said Marissa Pisarick, a senior in the School of Public Affairs. "But if I own it, I can always have it and am free to write notes in it. I understand they're greener and cheaper, but it's usually just for a few months and then they expire, so I feel like I'm paying for nothing."
According to CourseSmart, an e-textbook publishing company, purchasing digital books can save students money, give them quicker access to texts and allow students to search, copy and paste information. The company also claims e-textbooks are more environmentally friendly.
According to CourseSmart spokesperson Gabrielle Zucker, sales have increased 600 percent over the last year.
Although CourseSmart states purchasing e-books can save students money, many readers are concerned because they cannot re-sell an e-textbook, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, some AU students feel that the library does not give adequate compensation regardless.
"If you're just going to re-sell your books after the class is over, chances are it's worth it to get the e-book because the bookstore doesn't give you that much money back" said Bert Loudis, a senior in SPA.
The library has also adapted a new database called MyiLibrary that will have over 30,000 e-books. The books were picked based on AU's needs rather than the former company's choices, according to Anne Elguindi, acting director of Information Delivery Services. Elguindi said students will be able to search through a catalogue and click on a book to read it. However, MyiLibrary will not save a significant amount of money for the library compared to the former database. It is more of a convenience factor, according to Elguindi.
Associate Professor John C. Watson at the School of Communication said he sees the advent of e-textbooks as beneficial because of the cost and convenience factors.
"If I found the e-text had exactly the same content as the books I now require or if I determined that an e-book had what I require, I would recommend and even require them," Watson said.
You can reach this writer at news@theeagleonline.com.
