E-books: Better than textbooks?

Some Drury students are discovering a new way to cut textbook costs: e-books. But the solution isn't as simple as buying an e-book reader. Drury students must weigh all the options as to whether saving a few bucks in addition to convenience is worth giving up the traditional textbook.

Approximately 1 in 10 students are actively using e-books, helping drive a 159.8 percent spike in e-book sales during the first quarter of 2011, according to the Association of American Publishers.

The Drury bookstore offers about 30 percent of all textbooks in an e-book format, according to associate store director Valerie Rains.

"It (the number of e-books offered) has risen, but you still have smaller publishers that don't do e-books; it tends to be the larger publishing companies," says Clint Grounds, the senior bookstore associate.

Dr. Tijuana Julian, vice president of student affairs, says Drury does not have an official policy regarding e-books.

"We are trying to encourage faculty to use e-books, if they are available, for their courses," she says.

Julian says not only are the electronic books more cost-effective option for students, but they also fall in line with Drury's sustainability mission.

Dr. Rick Maxson, associate professor of communication, has been using an electronic text for three years in his Persuasion and Influence class.

"By now all students are using the electronic version for class; we haven't really had any problems," Maxson says.

Maxson likes the integration with real-life artifacts and ease of access for students.

"Aside from price, they are lighter and more accessible," he says. "They are also great because they have the ability to embed for video. For a class like this, for example, where a student can just click to play instead of having to read a description of a speech, it gives the full effect."

While he does like the interaction of the new technology, he acknowledges that e-books do have their down sides.

"Students tend to be less apt to highlight and write in the margins, and when it comes to studying there is just something about holding that physical text in your hands," Maxson says.

Grounds points to another advantage: access on multiple devices, including mobile phones and tablet computers.

For some, e-books offer a more affordable option.

On average, e-books in the Drury bookstore averaged 20-50 percent of the cost of the print equivalent, Grounds says.

At this point, e-books are still an emerging medium on campus.

"While we have had pretty good sales on e-books, I have never heard anyone, other than financial reasons, specifically ask for e-books," Grounds adds. "Yes, they are cheaper, but you don't have a 20-year-old come in and say, ‘I don't want a regular textbook. I prefer e-books.' "

Some students say they have considered the option but haven't yet made the leap.

"I have considered using an e-book," says Mitch Harris, a sophomore studying in pre-med. "I decided against using one just because I didn't want to deal with it, though, because I thought it would be easier to just rent the normal books."

Other students agree that being tied down to an electronic device isn't a risk they are ready to take.

"I have considered e-books in the past, because they are sometimes cheaper; however, I usually prefer to have a regular textbook because I am not limited by Internet access to read my book," said Rebecca Seen, a junior majoring in business and Spanish. "Also, when I have had online quizzes or other homework online, there are usually technical difficulties for someone in my class at some point in the semester. All in all, I prefer regular textbooks."