The world of academic publishing is probably not the first thing that leaps to mind when considering new and innovative technology. However, somewhat ironically, it is exactly this very arena that is making a significant impact in the way that we read books.
The Amazon Kindle e-book reader was originally launched in November 2007. It didn’t really register with the academic community at that time. When the new and updated Kindle 2 was released in February of 2009 there was a little more interest – but not that much.
It wasn’t until the debut of the Kindle DX that it became obvious that our book reading methods were about to change on a large scale. The larger screen of the Kindle DX reader, and its capacity to handle pdf files, made it an excellent medium for academic textbooks which tend to contain graphs and pictures.
Educational authorities and establishments soon realised that they could cut costs using e-book readers and electronic textbooks. With no costs for paper and ink, and without the handling charges associated with a physical product, e-books are significantly less costly than the conventional equivalent. Significant cost savings could be obtained by schools and colleges by switching to electronic textbooks.
Additionally, the electronic storage format facilitates easy updates and revisions. Currently, for traditional textbooks, the typical time between revisions is 7 years. Switching to electronic textbooks will allow much more frequent revisions and ensure that course books are current and up to date.
Another benefit which is of interest to many academic establishments is the environmental aspects of electronic books and e-book readers. Even considering the materials used to fabricate the readers and the electricity required to power them they are much more environmentally friendly than the conventional version.
All things taken into consideration, digital textbooks make a lot of sense. They are already in use in many schools, colleges and universities and, due to the potential benefits noted above, usage can be expected to increase exponentially in the immediate future.