Digital media paves way for cheaper textbooks

When it comes time to buy books this fall, many K-State students will head to bookstores like Varney's, returning with bags full of burdensome textbooks, which often cost a small fortune.

Through the course of the semester, books will be thrown into backpacks, shuffled onto shelves and into drawers and coffee will inevitably be spilled onto the once pristine pages. When students decide to be thrifty at the end of their courses by selling the books back, they receive a fraction of the price they originally paid.

There is another option, though: e-books.

In early January, Varney's Bookstore was able to take the first step toward more digitalized textbooks, with the introduction of Jumpbooks. Though different from an e-book used on an iPad or a Kindle, a Jumpbook is an electronic, password protected, compressed file that allows students to highlight, type notes and search for key words and phrases, all at the click of a mouse.

In the spring, Varney's collection of Jumpbooks included 250 digital titles and the bookstore is planning on doubling that number in the fall.

"The industry is becoming more digitalized," said Varney's general manager Steve Levin. "We know that we have to equip students to handle these changes and want to help students make a seamless transition so that their academics are not compromised later on."

Levin said electronic media, though relatively new, will soon offer users convenience and affordability.

"I think in the near future, we will see buying textbooks become as simple as downloading a song from iTunes," Levin said. "Soon, you will be able to download all your textbooks using a user-friendly online service, saving time and money."

As education around the nation has made the gradual transition to more and more electronic media, e-books seem to be the next logical change in order to further enhance the learning experiences of young Americans.

The cheaper, greener, more efficient alternative to the textbooks of old have made a strong debut. In 2010, e-books made up 9 percent of total books sales in the United States. Although newer e-book readers, such as the iPad 2, can cost anywhere from $550 for 16 gigabytes to $740 for 64 gigabytes, students will save a significant amount on each textbook.

CourseSmart.com, a website that specializes in electronic textbooks, offers steep discounts on their books. For example, an English reference textbook entitled "Quick Access: Reference for Writers," Sixth Edition, which sold for $72 can now be bought as an e-book for $28.80.

Not only do e-books save students money, but some students say they could give them a much more interactive learning experience.

"I think that e-books could be a great step to take in the classroom in order to make learning certain concepts easier," said Brett Knapp, sophomore in digital media.

Knapp said using electronic books would help him gain a better understanding of his subjects.

"I feel like I could be more efficient if I could actually see the animation that I work with on, say an iPad, and be able to play with some of drawings electronically," Knapp said.

For others, e-books is about being ready to enter their careers, a future that is certain to be filled with more and more electronic means of working.

"As a future teacher, I think it is extremely important to be skilled in using things like e-books," said Alexis Lundy, sophomore in secondary education. "I know that when I was in grade school, we saw a huge increase in time we spent on the computer. I can only imagine what it will be like when I'm the teacher, and I have to be ready to use things like e-books and be comfortable with that kind of medium as a primary teaching method."