Electronic Books

Time Horizon: Two to Three Years

"As the technology underlying electronic readers has improved and as more titles have become available, electronic books are quickly reaching the point where their advantages over the printed book are compelling to almost any observer. The convenience of carrying an entire library in a purse, pocket or book bag appeals to readers who find time for a few pages in between appointments or while commuting. Already firmly established in the public sector, electronic books are gaining a foothold on campuses as well, where they serve as a cost-effective and portable alternative to heavy textbooks and supplemental reading selections." Horizon Report 2010, Page 17. 

Facts from Horizon Report 2010

• In 2009, Kindle was Amazon.com's best selling product, with more than 390,00 titles available 
• Latest readers offer wireless connectivity and storage that may hold up more than 1,000 titles
• Besides Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook, reader apps for iPhones, Android and smartphones have entered the market 
• In 2010, Kindle editions now account for 50%of Amazon's sales of books available in both print and for the Kindle 
• Kindle owners buy 3X as many books as before they had Kindles according to Amazon
• Sony reports that Reader owners download 8 books per month, compared to fewer than 7 books per year purchased by average American book buyer in 2008 
• Cost of an E-book is generally a little lower than buying a paperback edition.
• Wirelessly connected readers may purchase and download a new book usually in under a minute 

Campuses and E-Books 

     Campuses have been slower to adopt electronic books for three reasons: 

1. Textbooks are published in e-formats much less frequently
2. Ability to easily render high quality illustrations was initially limited
3. Electronic versions often ancillary to the printed version. Printed versions had to be purchased before students have access to electronic versions. 

• Amazon lists over 30,000 academic titles
• All major textbook publishers have electronic version in the Amazon Education catalog
• Electronic readers offer keyword searching, instant dictionary lookups and in some cases, wireless Internet access
• Advances in electronic reader technology now brings e-books to the level of printed ones

Electronic Books in Practice - Horizon Report

Darden Students Test the Amazon Kindle DX

http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=9509

University of Virginia's Darden School of Business participates in testing the Kindle DX.

DeepDyve

http://www.deepdyve.com

DeepDyve is an extensive online collection of scientific, technical, and medical research.

Sony Reader Project at The Penn State University Libraries

http://libraries.psu.edu/psul/lls/sony_reader.html

Students may check out a Sony Reader from the library pre-loaded with leisure reading fiction and non-fiction titles.

Sophie

http://sophiecommons.org

Sophie is an open source tool at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, for creating and reading rich media documents in a networked environment.

Swapping Textbooks for E-books

http://www.edtechmag.com/higher/march-april-2009/swapping-textbooks-for-e-books.html

Northwest Missouri State University's pilot program, 500 of the school's 6,500 students will receive electronic textbooks instead of, or in addition to, printed copies.

YouTube: Kindle 2.0 from Amazon - The Tour (6:26)