In an era in which friends talk online and assignments can be submitted with the click of a mouse, Penn students will stop short of scrolling down while reading their textbooks this fall.
Recently, the wholesale company MBS Textbook Exchange partnered with eight colleges, including Princeton University, to offer students about 30 electronic textbooks -- which will allow students to save up to 33 percent off textbook cover prices.
Students will be able to buy electronic books -- which are about the size of a driver's license -- next to normal textbooks at their school's bookstore. At checkout, bookstore employees will encode the electronic books in order to allow access to the text. Student will then be able to download entire textbooks onto their personal computers.
But Penn is not going to jump on the e-book bandwagon just yet. Business Services spokeswoman Rhea Lewis said that there would need to be strong student demand and faculty interest in order for the Penn Bookstore to consider selling e-books in addition to traditional textbooks.
"The faculty determines what course books are needed. They order the book and the version," Lewis said. She said that the bookstore would only sell e-books if a faculty member requested them. If there were a specific request, "then the Bookstore would make every effort to support it."
If students are interested in obtaining electronic textbooks, then Lewis said they can take the initiative by setting up meetings with administrators and faculty members to "get that conversation going."
Students at participating schools have the option of downloading their electronic textbooks to Adobe Acrobat. Through this program, students can use the highlight function and attach notes to individual sections of the book.
However, this option is not always popular among students.
"I feel like I get more by highlighting with an actual highlighter in my hands," Princeton sophomore Ashley Johnson said. "I process more of it. It's a better way for me to study."
In order to stop students from sharing the textbooks, e-books can only be viewed on the original computer used to download the text. Furthermore, access to book material will expire at the end of a course.
This upcoming school year marks the first time electronic books will be marketed through college bookstores. While the possibility of reading a book online is nothing new, e-book sales lag far behind those of normal books.
"I will not plan on buying any kind of electronic textbook." Johnson said. She disagrees with MBS' policy of restricting textbook material after the completion of the course. "If you pay for it, it should be yours. That's information open to you, especially if you're buying books for your major."
Likewise, some Penn students do not seem to be heartbroken about the lack of e-books at Penn.
College sophomore Spencer Miller said that he would miss the physical act of turning the pages of a traditional book. He also noted that with a desktop computer, he would be limited to studying in his room.
Despite the disadvantages of buying electronic books, many still recognize their positive attributes.
"I think some students will be pleased with this because they're against all the paper we waste at college,"Johnson said. "The financial aspect is very attractive."
In addition to Princeton, Portland Community College, Bowling Green State University, the University of Oregon, the University of Utah, Georgetown College in Kentucky, California State University at Fullerton and Morehead State University will also be participating in the e-book partnership.
