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April 15, 2001
Getting a Read
on E-Books
Digitized books have been touted as the
biggest revolution since the Gutenberg press.
What impact will they have on schools?
By Amy Poftak
Last year, it was hard to avoid the e-book frenzy in the media. At center stage was Stephen King, who grabbed public and publisher attention by offering e-book novellas at his Web site. Barnes & Noble launched its own e-book imprint, B&N Digital. Publishing heavyweights Random House and Simon & Schuster started pushing their own e-titles. Even Oprah, the barometer of the mainstream reading public, gave electronic books a nod when Gemstar's REB 1100 e-book reader made her list of holiday gift recommendations.
For all the talk of digital books in the consumer world, however, many believe their greatest potential lies in education. In fact, the market for digitized educational materials is predicted to grow much faster than retail books. By 2005, according to Forrester Research, 25 percent of college textbook sales will be digital, providing students with a high-tech alternative to lugging around a heavy set of books. Another digital publishing option already being used by colleges and some K-12 schools is what's known as customized publishing, or "print on demand." Instructors create course packs by combining material from a variety of sources-textbook chapters, periodicals, trade books, even their own articles-that is then delivered to students in print or digital format.
Of this growing array of digital content options, it has been e-books that have captured educators' imaginations the most. Indeed, many K-12 administrators and teachers are rhapsodic about the ways e-books may solve a number of problems that schools face, and already a handful around the country have tested them out. Yet electronic books and e-textbooks have failed to gain a real foot-hold in schools. What's the forecast for e-books, and what issues must be solved if they're ever to become a classroom staple?
Read on:
The E-Book Dream
The E-Book Reality
Delivery Options
Considerations for Educators
E-Reading Selections
Read other articles from the April issue
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