Overdrive has just published a new survey that takes a look at digital penetration in schools in the United States. They take a look at what medium is the most popular and what type of tech devices diligent young scholars are employing to get the most out of their education. Based on a survey of more than 2,000 administrators at the school or district level in the U.S., the … [Read more...] about 80% of US schools use e-books or digital textbooks
etextbooks
Should there be a e-Book VAT Exemption for Schools in Europe?
Selling e-books in Europe is challenging, since the VAT rules keep changing. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google and Apple used to be based out of Luxembourg to sell their digital books, since they could get away with charging  3% VAT on e-books in every country in Europe. On January 1st 2015 the European Commission mandated that VAT will be payed based on where the buyer is … [Read more...] about Should there be a e-Book VAT Exemption for Schools in Europe?
Students Fail to Embrace Digital Textbooks
American students have yet to embrace digital textbooks in considerable numbers. Many of the top universities and colleges have a very slim minority that either use them exclusively or in parallel with print. A recent survey by Hewlett Packard illiminates the role digital is playing in the classroom. HP conducted a survey last winter, talking to 527 students at San Jose … [Read more...] about Students Fail to Embrace Digital Textbooks
Students Revolt Over Mandatory eTextbooks
Digital Textbooks may not change the educational industry as much as Amazon, Google, Inkling and other companies would hope. Students in five San Antonio colleges are revolting due to policy that would phase out textbooks and move entirely digital. Students at five Alamo Colleges have been staging protests over the schools plans to abandon physical textbooks and embrace … [Read more...] about Students Revolt Over Mandatory eTextbooks
Startup Packback Developing New eTextbook Rental Service
Illinois State University graduate Mike Shannon and current ISU senior Kasey Gandham are leading the team behind Packback, a new Chicago-based startup which seeks to change the way students rent digital textbooks. The company will be launching an initial ISU-exclusive pilot program next fall with a select group of publishing partners. In an exclusive interview Mike Shannon … [Read more...] about Startup Packback Developing New eTextbook Rental Service
British Columbia Mandates Open eTextbooks for Post-Secondary Students
The Province of British Columbia is poised to be the first one in Canada to offer free e-textbooks to 1st and 2nd year students enrolled in college or university. The project is due to be implemented for the 2013 school year. Up to 200,000 BC students each year could benefit from this move under B.C.’s Families First Agenda, saving each student hundreds of dollars a year or … [Read more...] about British Columbia Mandates Open eTextbooks for Post-Secondary Students
Blackwell Teams Up with Ingram for Digital Textbook Foray
Blackwell is currently the United Kingdom's top academic bookseller and has an extensive network of campus and online bookshops where it sells its textbooks. Today the company has announced a deal with Ingram’s VitalSource to provide a new digital textbook solution. Digital Textbooks in the UK are starting to see a wider adoption and recently CourseSmart has entered into the … [Read more...] about Blackwell Teams Up with Ingram for Digital Textbook Foray