Posts Tagged ‘e-books’

Last week London was abuzz as the publishing world descended on Earl’s Court for the annual London Book Fair. Over the course of the three day event, publishers worked to tout their books, secure the next big deal and debate “hot topics” like digital, which has generated a lot of interest and highlighted the need for publishers to really think about the web, apps, devices and social media.

Amongst the chatter of the book fair, I read a piece by a journalist who said that whilst publishers have embraced simple text-based eBooks, few are ready to back anything more complex as it requires significant investment. In my opinion, that view isn’t entirely correct. We’re in a perfect storm of innovation, and I believe the publishing industry has responded magnificently. Just look at the partnership between Cengage Learning, Macmillan, McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Wiley who set up CourseSmart; the world’s largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course materials. On Monday, at the book fair, these publishers were on hand when CourseSmart’s expansion into the UK and Europe was announced with its online eCommerce platform. Not really a sign of publishers not wanting to back anything more complex, is it?

eTexbooks and the rise of the digital backpack

Not long ago pencils, notebooks and print textbooks reigned supreme as classroom necessities, and are still a recent memory for most of us with Gen X and Y still suffering from the memories of lugging around heavy, textbook filled backpacks. Today, the higher education landscape and student experience is dramatically different as eTextbooks gain momentum and students acquire themselves a digital backpack. Thanks to significant innovation in technology, digital course materials, and the proliferation of mobile devices, today’s digital natives are in a position to benefit from an enhanced, streamlined and superior approach to learning.

Students are not only embracing digital devices - including eReaders, smartphones and laptop computers - they are completely dependent on them and eTextbooks open up a whole new world for those students. Student respondents indicated that they used an average of three different digital devices on a daily basis, and 38% of the students surveyed said that they could not go more than 10 minutes without checking one (or more) of their digital devices. The proliferation of smartphones has led students to expect instant access to everything and anything, including their course materials.

Due to their flexibility and anytime, anywhere access, eTextbooks have become an attractive option for many students that frequently have to fit studying in between their other responsibilities such as work and internships. Three-quarters (73%) of students indicated they bring their textbooks with them “on the go” and nearly half (48%) of all students who own a tech device frequently read eTextbooks. With university fees set to rise, and the hassle of reselling your second hand books for next to nothing, the cost of eTextbooks is another factor attracting students, allowing them to save up to 40% on textbook costs by renting them online.

Thanks to the rise of eTextbooks, higher education students can now truly have a digital backpack. Additionally, by utilising eResource materials that provide interactive, assessment-based course materials, students can take quizzes and self-assessments in the palm of their hands. These new technologies and advanced learning resources allow students to study more efficiently and effectively, resulting in an enhanced learning experience that was not possible a decade ago.

Looking forward, this is an incredibly exciting time for both the higher education and publishing sectors. So, come September as students prepare for their new academic year don’t be surprised if you see students walking a little taller with their digital backpack in tow.

Fionnuala Duggan, Managing Director for International at CourseSmart

Attention Instructors: Did you know that CourseSmart has a new Table of Contents side-by-side comparison feature? Long over are the days when you had to set two or more print textbooks side-by-side and compare TOC’s. CourseSmart makes comparison easy, by allowing you to pull up one etextbook from “Publisher A” alongside another etextbook from “Publisher B.” You can see in one view which order of information you prefer for your teaching methods, thus allowing you to make an informed etextbook decision for your class.
CourseSmart has over 20,000 digital etextbooks in our arsenal, and over 90% of the core textbooks used in Higher Education today. That means the liklihood that we have the eTextbook you’re looking for is quite high.
To use this feature, search for a textbook you’re interested in viewing. Then, click the “compare” button. Next, use the search button to locate a title to compare. The description for both books and the Table of Contents for both books are now side-by-side for you to see.
Making eTextbook adoption decisions has never been easier. To see this new feature in action, here’s a short YouTube video:

Video on Side-By-Side TOC Comparison

Enjoy!

The National Association of College Stores is hosting its annual Campus Market Expo (CAMEX) in Salt Lake City this week, and CourseSmart is exhibiting alongside nearly 700 vendors seeking to get their wares into college bookstores across the country. Our booth (#6553 – come see us!) makes us the proud owners of 0.071% of the sprawling trade show floor, and we intend to make the most of our modest square footage.

Both on the floor and in the conference sessions, there have been fascinating conversations about the future of the campus bookstore. Bookstore-related jargon is circulating, and no buzz-word intrigues me more than “click-and-mortar,” which I heard today. Is there anything more satisfying than a mash-up word that is witty AND relevant? I can’t think of a better way to describe the next generation of bookstores, who exist in a market that now encompasses a confusing jumble of print and digital options. It’s no secret that the days of simple print texts are a thing of the past, and consumers are demanding choice.

This year, stores seem genuinely interested in getting more involved in the world of digital content, and we are so excited to partner with them in offering students options!

 

CourseSmart is in the City of Brotherly Love!  We are descending on Philadelphia this week for the annual EDUCAUSE conference, a gathering of more than 4,000 educators, administrators, and thought leaders in the higher education IT industry.  In addition to chowing down on Philly cheesesteaks and doing our best Rocky impression on the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum, we look forward to networking with IT leaders and discussing new opportunities for providing students with equal and affordable access to digital course materials.  We will also be spending time with our publisher and institutional partners talking about our latest integrations with Desire to Learn, Pearson LearningStudio, and Blackboard Learn.

                                                                                              

We are thrilled to be a sponsor of the 2011 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, a distinction which allows us to host two refreshment breaks on the exhibit floor on Thursday, October 20.  Stop by to chat with a CourseSmart representative about our latest innovations, or just to pick up some SWAG!  If you can’t make it to the refreshment breaks, be sure to see CourseSmart CTO, Tom Hadfield, give a presentation in the Gilfus Education booth (#1457) on Wednesday, October 19, from 10:00-10:40am.  Tom will be discussing the current and future state of digital course materials, and the changing consumption patterns of today’s students. And, if you will not be attending this year’s conference, get the latest news and updates from Philadelphia by following @CourseSmart­_ on Twitter.

 

We are looking forward to an exciting and informative week in Philadelphia, and we hope to see you there!

 

- Nani Jansen, Marketing Coordinator, CourseSmart

CourseSmart®, the world’s largest provider of eTextbooks and other digital resources, recently launched its latest innovation: a social commerce shopping experience that will allow students to rent CourseSmart materials directly from the brand’s official Facebook page.

Students will be able to access CourseSmart’s catalog of eTextbooks and eResources directly on Facebook through a secure shopping cart and tab on the brand’s page. Shopping within the tab, students will be able to search for eTextbooks by title, ISBN number or keyword and then add the items to their cart. When ready to checkout, students will be linked directly to secure checkout at Coursesmart.com.

“CourseSmart has always made it a priority to provide students with the course materials they need in the most convenient way possible, and our new Facebook experience is the latest breakthrough in that arena,” said Jill Ambrose, chief marketing officer at CourseSmart. “We are excited to provide accessibility to more than 20,000 of the latest eTextbook offerings to college students where they already spend time, on their favorite social networking site.”

With so many college students already on Facebook, using the social network for social commerce was a natural transition for CourseSmart. This new Facebook feature is the latest in a series of industry firsts for the brand, which launched a beta version of its first-to-market HTML5 eReader earlier this summer, allowing users to access CourseSmart materials online and offline.

To purchase eTextbooks via Facebook or for more information on CourseSmart’s new social commerce tab visit www.facebook.com/CourseSmart.

Many industry analysts have pinpointed university faculty as an essential element for college students’ adoption of e-textbooks and digital course materials. Stanford’s recent decision to offer digital versions of university press course materials opens the door for the academic press to create a new lead into student adoption of digital materials.

Stanford University is among several larger universities now offering digital book rentals to create more cost effective solutions for cash-strapped students while also helping to lead the transition into e-textbooks. The digital PDF versions of what universities might normally offer as spiral bound, computer-printed materials are available for a limited subscription period at a discounted price or flat fee. Despite the highly variable cost of an academic press e-book (from $10 to 75% of the cost of the actual textbook), students can gain quick access to needed materials for a portion of the price they would pay for the print version of the book.

Of the larger university publishers offering digital subscriptions, none have admitted to making much of a profit on their e-book subscriptions, however, they are quick to counter that the objective of their entrance into the digital book market is to introduce digital materials to students who are either unable to purchase a print version or are interested another viable option for course reading and studying.

As more universities offer digital course materials for rental, and students become comfortable with digital alternatives to print textbooks, university officials are hoping to pave the way to more widespread digital material adoption.

What is your history with digital course materials? Have you used a digital book from a university press to help you decide whether an e-textbook was right for you?

This last week we’ve seen a lot of news coverage as libraries and publishers struggle over e-book offerings in public libraries, particularly as it relates limitations on e-book rentals that result in libraries repurchasing materials when borrowing limits have been reached. Both sides’ present valid points for justifying their position, but ultimately only one will prevail.

To understand this struggle let’s first take a look at how libraries circulate e-books. Many larger public libraries, like the New York Public Library have websites dedicated to borrowing digital materials from e-books to music and videos. Much like browsing an online bookstore, virtual library branches allow users to check out and download books using their library card information. Digital materials from a virtual branch automatically expire after the due date, so the borrower can no longer access the materials on their device. The latest struggle has developed out of one publisher wanting to impose use, or download, limitations on e-books, while libraries feel they should pay once for unlimited use similar to purchasing print books for circulation.

Libraries argue that consistent with print versions of books, an initial purchase is made and the library then owns that material and can circulate it for the life of the book. Borrowing limitations imposed on libraries by one publisher result in e-books only being available for about one year. After the borrowing limit is reached the library must repurchase the e-book to put it back into circulation. Repurchasing an e-book seems erroneous, and not entirely feasible for an institution that relies on state and federal funding, and public donations especially considering a bestseller could be circulated hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of times over its unlimited lifespan.

The publisher leading the firestorm over e-book limitations insists that its library purchase policies are outdated, and must be updated as the popularity of e-books grows. Other publishers are concerned e-book rentals will divert consumers away from e-book retail purchases, and accordingly, do not offer e-books. And still more publishers continue to offer e-books to libraries without seeing an immediate need to alter the current pricing policy.

The emergence of intangible, intellectual property raises a lot of questions, and as we’ve seen in this debate over e-book restrictions, poses new problems for publishers and libraries. What do you think is a fair resolution to this problem? Do the same rules apply to both print and e-books?