The rise of the Kindle, iPad and other e-readers has changed the way Americans read. In 2010, Amazon announced that, for the first time in the website’s history, digital book sales were greater than paper book sales. Hundreds of thousands of popular books can now be accessed digitally, but this trend is not yet true for one large demographic in the printing world: textbooks.

However there may be some change on the horizon. As more and more college students head to school armed with a Kindle, iPad or other tablet, publishers are taking note and beginning to expand their digital offerings to include textbooks.

Huge potential for growth

As the first few digital textbooks debuted online, publishers found a new market with tremendous growth potential. The textbooks of tomorrow may not be the static text and images most of us remember, but rather something more interactive that embraces a multimedia approach to education. Keep in mind digital textbooks are not limited to those who own e-readers. Users can access digital texts with software to download digital books. Some texts can even be accessed using nothing more than a Web browser.

The Student Monitor, a New Jersey market research company focused on the student sector, indicated that 5 percent of all textbooks purchased for the fall 2011 were digital. While this number may seem small, it is actually a huge growth over the 2.1 percent in the spring semester. Estimates for 2012 indicate that electronic textbooks could generate over $260 million in sales in the United States alone, a tremendous 44 percent increase over 2011.

Mixed reviews from students 

While publishers may be enjoying the growing profits from these books, students have mixed reviews about digital textbooks. Some feel it is a positive because of the lower price—and even though there is often little difference in price between the paper and electronic versions of a textbook, some publishers are pushing price as an incentive to students.

The downside is that digital versions are sometimes not permanent. Many textbooks have expiration dates, which means they cannot be used as a reference once the student has completed a course. Publishers are aiming to combat this problem by allowing students to print portions of their books or offering discounts on the print version for those who purchased the digital version first.

Changes coming for more than just college students 

Colleges are not the only places where this increased focus on digital books is surfacing. The gaming industry is also embracing it. Rumors say that Nintendo will launch an eBook download service along with the Wii U console. The console’s new 6.2-inch touch screen controller could be the medium through which the eBooks will be accessed. With this change, the Wii will not only add exercise to video gaming, but to education as well. 

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Lindsey Caho is a professional writer and blogger. She writes on behalf of Colorado Technical University.