Are College Textbooks Going Digital?

Because of the rising cost of college textbooks, a congressional advisory panel is pushing a proposal that would store content from textbooks digitally.

The panel believes some students are being priced out of college by the cost of textbooks. Under the proposal, professors could use the system to create their own textbooks that students could print out, view on a computer, or download on a PDA. Then students would not have to buy an entire book they may not need.

USF Sarasota-Manatee student Aaron Wiseman said he spent almost $600 on books for four classes one semester, but he doesn’t think digital is the solution.

“Personally I wouldn’t like a digital textbook,” Wiseman said. “I like to have a tangible item in front of me, something I can highlight, write and read in. Staring at a computer screen is not my idea of reading a textbook.”

Congress wants institutions and publishers to act on their digital marketplace recommendations voluntarily. Otherwise, legislators may pass a federal law to implement the idea.

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