App State introduced a digital textbook rental system in 2021, which has quickly become popular among students. Nearly 99 percent of the student population has utilized the program, which has resulted in savings of over $5 million during the past academic year. This e-book program offers the convenience of downloading and reading textbooks and class materials on students’ computers, tablets, and phones. Currently, approximately 80 percent of the course materials are available through the digital textbook rental system, while the remaining titles are available in physical copies.
The App State digital textbook rental system was only the second of its kind when it was launched, and its success has encouraged other universities and colleges to follow suit. The program has set an example for the education industry to reduce costs and make learning more accessible for students.
The program allowed students to access digital downloads for $260 per semester in the 2022-23 academic year. John Eckman, App State’s associate vice chancellor of campus services pegged the savings that students were able to make since summer 2022 to be over $5 million. This represents a 34 percent savings when compared to buying new books. This made for a considerable financial relief compared to the national average cost of books and supplies for both public and private college students, which stood at $1,240 in 2022-23.
Students have the option to opt out of the program on a semester-to-semester basis. This could be beneficial in situations where students do not require textbooks for a particular semester’s courses or when they are engaged in internships. Also, before the digital textbook rental program, App State had a hard copy textbook rental model that charged a flat fee per semester, but it only supported one book per class. If a student needed additional books, they had to purchase them separately, which could have cost up to $260 per book in some cases, stated Eckman.
Meanwhile, Pam Walker, the Director of the App State University Bookstore said the digital textbook rental program has many benefits aside from saving money for students. For instance, students have immediate access to course materials on the first day of class, eliminating the need to wait in long lines to rent books. Additionally, digital textbooks are much lighter and easier to carry around, reducing the physical strain on students. Furthermore, these materials can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, both online and offline, making studying more convenient for students. Walker also noted that digital books are ADA-compliant, accommodating screen readers and larger fonts.
Moreover, Lee Ball, App State’s Chief Sustainability Officer, highlighted that e-books are eco-friendly as they require no physical delivery, packaging materials, or labor. They also produce no landfill waste and result in a reduction of toxic chemicals and air pollution associated with printing textbooks.
“Digital textbooks directly support our university-wide strategic plan,” said Ball. “It supports the priority of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing more equitable access to materials. It also supports the priority to strengthen resilience and sustainability, because digital textbook rentals have a lower carbon footprint.”
App State’s digital textbook rental program has also earned the university an award for excellence in course material management from the Independent College Bookstore Association (ICBA). University Bookstore Tech Center Manager J.P. Hanson accepted the award on behalf of the bookstore at the ICBA conference in February. The award is based on sales, turnovers, and margins from the past five years, with a focus on pre- and post-COVID sales. Despite a nationwide decline in sales, the response to App State’s transition from physical to digital books was deemed compelling by Patrick McGowan, an ICBA board member. Currently, 80 percent of course-required books are delivered digitally, but this number is expected to increase to nearly 90 percent in the upcoming fall semester. With a current adoption rate of 99 percent and plans for continued expansion, Pam Walker, the university bookstore director, believes that the program is trending in the right direction.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.