Areas+of+Impact

The invention of e-books will greatly impact our education system in the near future. As consumer use and advances in the technology increase, e-books will begin to replace big and bulky textbooks. Many obstacles that were present before are no longer an issue. Previously the number of textbooks available was low, and even then publishers required students to purchase the print version before they could access the electronic version. Now more academic titles are currently available and major publishers are allowing students to purchase eBooks without the print version.

Currently many colleges and universities are running pilot programs in order to test many of the popular eReaders that are available. The use of eBooks will greatly benefit students, because the readers have capabilities that aren't present in print textbooks. Students can bookmark and annotate text which can be viewed, shared or archived.

One program to test eReaders and the use of eBooks is a program at [|Northwest Missouri State University]. 500 of their nearly 6,500 students will receive electronic textbooks in addition or instead of print texts.Another program is being conducted at [|Penn State University Libraries] to test the Sony Reader. The Readers are being used with their Leisure Reading Collection. Students at the University may check out readers free of charge.

With so many eReaders being introduced and the lower cost of electronic text as compared to print, the consumer market for eBooks will increase dramatically in the very near future. Companies are quickly jumping onto the bandwagon, just like when mp3 players were introduced. eBooks will become the next novelty the real question is when the novelty fades will eBooks continue to be the choice for us or will the trend end. Many people disagree about the future for eBooks.

[|E-Book Fans Keep Format in Spotlight] The publishing industry is making claims that consumers are reading more because of eBooks. They predict that we will see a very significant industry growth rates as a result of the convenience of this kind of reading. Sony says that it’s eBook customers download on average eight books a month from it’s online library. Fans of reading devices suggest that the convenience of using these products has created a greater interest in books. Most fans cite the benefits as being able to adjust type size, the ability to carry multiple books in a compact place and the easy access to many books as being the reason for the appeal. One problem they indicate will be the piracy of eBooks, similar to the problem the music industry experienced when music transitioned to digital formats.