Colleges Switch To E-Text To Save Money & Help Save Environment [E-Textbooks Are Seen As A Way To Save Money & Lessen The Use Of Paper]

Digital technology has gone leaps and bounds in other industries, such as the music market, where a big chunk of purchases today are digital. Colleges across the US want students to save money on books, and E-textbooks might just have the same effect on the textbook market.

College administrations are aware of the rising costs of textbooks, where in some cases, single textbooks would go for no less than $250 each. Some are even going as far as saying there’s something wrong with the system if the cost of textbooks is bigger than the tuition fee itself.

Some students are creative with saving money on books–they borrow, buy secondhand, or simply make do without books at all, but some colleges discourage this practice. Book publishers are also on the losing end, as they only earn from every new book purchased. With a new system being adopted by colleges like Virginia State and Daytona State College, it could be a win-win situation.

Colleges are now able to negotiate for lower per-unit costs for e-versions of textbooks, bringing down the prices to as low as $20 each. Some books can even be accessed in their online versions for free.

E-books are cheaper to produce than physical books. They also have a lighter carbon footprint. No trees are cut down to make paper, and no ink is used for printing. Of course, there are disadvantages, such as the inability to make marginal notes, and the difficulty in reading in some scenarios (like when lying down in bed). But when you consider the cost-savings, e-textbooks might be the best way to both save money and the environment.