EBooks still receive lukewarm response

Despite high hopes for eBooks at The Book Center, sales have flatlined in the past year, an… Despite high hopes for eBooks at The Book Center, sales have flatlined in the past year, an issue that The Center’s manager said might stem from confusion about the program.

EBooks became available in fall 2010 at The Book Center in order to help students save money on textbooks. Even though eBooks are now available for certain textbooks and can be purchased at nearly half the price of a physical book, the electronic books make up less than 1 percent of overall Book Center sales, said Book Center manager Debra Fyock.

The number of eBooks available for purchase has increased each semester at The Book Center, but the number of eBooks sold has not changed since January 2011. The Book Center currently offers more than 600 different eBook titles.

Fyock said she is pleased with the new program and would like to see it continue to grow. Fyock cited lower prices and more convenience as reasons to boost the program.

“We see eBooks as offering another option to our student customers, along with new, used, rental and guaranteed buyback selections,” Fyock said.

EBook sales still represent less than 1 percent of the Center’s overall book sales. Fyock said that the lack of sales could also be attributed to the newness of the program, as well as companies not yet offering an eBook alternative, though the number of eBooks available has increased each semester as a result of publishers steadily making more of their titles available in eBook format.

Student Government Board president Molly Stieber said she spearheaded the project after conducting research prior to her 2010 SGB campaign.

She received positive feedback on the eBook project and has found that they are in high demand from students.

Stieber’s motivation stemmed from the heavy costs that textbooks inflict on students’ wallets. In her research, she found that eBooks could save students hundreds of dollars a year depending on their courseload.

“I don’t think anyone could disagree that textbook costs are almost impossible to handle for the average college student,” Stieber said. “I did a ton of research and discovered that electronic textbooks can be purchased at half the cost of a newly printed textbook.”

For example, an Introduction to Psychology student could buy a new edition of “Psychology” by Saundra Ciccarelli at the print price of $162.65 at The Book Center, or the student could purchase the eBook for $65.10.

Stieber noted that she purchased a $150 text for $61.40 as a CourseSmart eBook. The Book Center’s inventory of digital books is supplied mainly through textbook provider CourseSmart, which offers 90 percent of all core textbooks used in higher education, according to its website.

Stieber said that it is also important for students to realize that they cannot sell back their eBooks at the end of the semester like they would be able to with physical textbooks. When students sell their books back, they usually get about half the price they originally paid.

Fyock said The Book Center will continue to research and consider all options that fulfill departmental requirements. She said the only thing preventing the sale of eBooks is if the publisher doesn’t offer that format as an option for the book.

The process for purchasing an eBook involves students bringing an eBook card listing the particular textbook from the shelf where the physical book would be to the register for purchase. The students are then given a URL, passcode and PIN on their receipt to access the eBook from CourseSmart’s website, Fyock said.

Students can then go online and download the book to their laptop, where they can view the book just like a textbook, but flattened on a computer screen with page-turn options. The tools are similar in function to PDF files. The eBooks are downloaded as a subscription, and students can usually print up to 150 percent of the eBook’s total pages.

Fyock said that there haven’t been too many complaints or concerns raised with The Book Center regarding the electronic books.

“It seems that whether or not an eBook is compatible with a specific device is the most common question that we get,” Fyock said. “Also, eBooks are essentially subscriptions to the text with access running out after 6 or 12 months. CourseSmart allows up to 150 percent of an eBook to be printed before your subscription expires, but lack of ultimate ownership seems to be another concern.”

Stieber said that other concerns surrounding eBooks include missing the feeling of turning pages in a book, though she had tremendously positive feedback from students who gave the program a try.

She said she believes that eBooks are the future of textbooks and thinks that the more prevalent mobile devices become, the larger the increase in popularity to follow.

“I would like to see students give eBooks a chance,” Stieber said. “I understand that they aren’t for everyone, but the fact that I only have to carry around my iPad to read almost all of my textbooks for all of my classes has made my academic life so much easier.”

Another reason Pitt students may enjoy the idea of eBooks is for the environmental benefits.

Environmental studies major Taylor Marencik said she believes students should use technology to address rising environmental concerns.

“As an environmental studies student, I think less paper is a good thing,” senior Marencik said. “To use the technology to be more conscious of the environment is a good thing.”

Stieber said she agrees that “eBooks help promote [a] more environmentally friendly atmosphere.”