E-Books

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E-books have been around since the early 1990s but have had a slow adoption by the higher education community. While e-books allow for the inclusion of richer media, providing a more interactive experience for the reader, the format, as well as access and copyright issues, are still currently evolving. Explore this resource site—a collection of all EDUCAUSE resources related to E-Books.

Articles, Papers, and Reports

E-books: Developments and Policy Considerations, OECD, October 2012
A Study of Four Textbook Distribution Models, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, December 2011. In preparation for campus-wide e-text adoption, Daytona State College completed a two-year comparative study of four textbook distribution models: print purchase, print rental, e-text rental, and e-text rental with e-reader device.
Mobile Perspectives: On e-books E-Reading: The Transition in Higher Education EDUCAUSE Review, March/April 2011.
2011 Horizon Report, ELI/NMC, February 2011. Each year, the Horizon Report describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact on higher education. This year electronic books are prominently featured in the report.
The User-Driven Purchase Giveaway Library, EDUCAUSE Review, September/October 2010.
Deploying Innovation Locally, EDUCAUSE Review, September/October 2010.
E-Textbooks: “An Interesting Ride”, EDUCAUSE Review, March/April 2010.
7 Things You Should Know About E-Readers, ELI, March 2010.
Digital Books and Your Rights: A Checklist for Readers, Electronic Frontier Foundation, February 2010
E-Books in Higher Education: Are We There Yet?, ECAR Research Bulletin, January 2010
7 Things You Should Know About E-Books, ELI, November 2006

Presentations, Podcasts, Seminars, and Videos

The Horizon Report in Action: Emerging Technologies Today and Tomorrow, EDUCAUSE Live!, March 2012. This webinar discusses mobiles, electronic books, learning analytics, and other emerging technology areas
eTexts: A Perishable Opportunity for Higher Education?, EDUCAUSE Live!, January 2012. This EDUCAUSE Live! This program addresses the strategic, business, and policy implications for institutions in light of a changing world of consumer electronics and new models for digital educational resources such as eTexts, website tutorials, and other licensed content
Digital Content in Higher Education – Practical Findings, ELI Web Seminar, March 2011 (ELI membership required) This webinar provides an overview of the digital textbook landscape as it currently exists and a glimpse into the emerging trends that will shape higher education digital content in the near future.
Dealing with the Changing World of E-Textbooks, EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, October 2010. This video from E10 examines the current trends in textbook technology with respect to delivery platform options (iPad, Kindle, etc.), software format (electronic publication versus PDF), and pedagogical implications.
Kindles in the Classroom: Theories, Practices, and Results in a Lower-Division English Course, ELI Annual Conference, January 2010. At California Lutheran University, the goal of the Kindle pilot project was to explore and identify the practices that would best optimize the Kindle's teaching/learning potential—a potential CLU recognized as promoting deeper student engagement in critical reading and writing.
E-Readers and E-Textbooks: Current Reality and Future Possibilities, EDUCAUSE Live!, August 2009. This seminar addresses the current state of e-reader devices and their functionality as platforms for the delivery of e-textbooks, as experienced by Northwest Missouri State University in its 2008–2009 pilot study.

Updated November 2012

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EDUCAUSE Library Items for E-Books

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E-books: Developments and Policy Considerations: October 29, 2012

"Books are undergoing a massive transformation from being a physical object to something electronic, or an "e-book". And while e-book sales still make up only a small proportion of…
Academic Libraries: 2010 First Look: December 13, 2011

The Academic Libraries: 2010 First Look summarizes services, staff, collections, and expenditures of academic libraries in 2- and 4-year, degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the 50 sta…
Frequently Asked Questions About the June 29, 2010, Dear Colleague Letter: May 26, 2011

The Department of Education has determined that this document is a “significant guidance document” under the Office of Management and Budget’s Final Bulletin for Agency Good Guidance Pract…
Elaborating on Online Accessibility: May 27, 2011

The Department of Education elaborated on a 2010 letter urging college and university presidents to make sure that the “emerging technology” on their campuses squares with federal laws pro…
Cal State's Strong Push for Accessible Technology Gets Results: December 12, 2010

Over the past five years, Cal State has waged one of higher education's most aggressive campaigns for accessible technology. It has adopted stringent standards for vendors and employees. Alo…
A Cover to Cover Solution: How Open Textbooks are the Path to Textbook Affordability: September 30, 2010

This report evaluates cost-reducing options from the traditional textbook market - rentals, e-books and e-readers - and open textbooks as potential next steps to reduce the high cost of te…
All In the Delivery: August 31, 2010

As publishers and analysts again wonder if e-books are about to take off, the growing popularity of rental options may play as important a role as technology. …
A sustainable future for open textbooks? The Flat World Knowledge story: August 3, 2010

Authors John L. Hilton III and David A. Wiley discuss the concern many college students and their families have a=about the high costs of textbooks. E–books have been proposed as one potential …
The E-Book Sector: June 8, 2010

In for-profit higher education, traditional textbooks are disappearing. In for-profit higher education, traditional textbooks are disappearing. …
Digital Books and Your Rights: A Checklist for Readers: February 24, 2010

After several years of false starts, the universe of digital books seems at last poised to expand dramatically. Readers should view this expansion with both excitement and wariness. Excitement be…