7 Textbook Publishers Move to Electronic Format

  • By Dan Thompson
  • 07/29/09

Several textbook publishers have recently joined the ranks of publishers offering their works in electronic format. Last week, seven, including Elsevier Science and Technology, SAGE, and Taylor & Francis signed on to offer their higher education textbooks through CourseSmart's eTextbooks service.

Those signing on with CourseSmart also include F.A. Davis, Jones & Bartlett, Sinauer Associates, and Wolters Kluwer Health.

"These partnerships will help us expand the range of core textbook offerings and move forward in our mission of enabling every college student to find their assigned textbooks as eTextbooks," said Sean Devine, CEO of CourseSmart, in a prepared statement. "We will continue to partner with large and small publishers to ensure we meet faculty and student demand for eTextbook versions of the core textbooks that are essential to their teaching and learning success."

Specialty course subjects include:

  • Mathematics and statistics, life and Physical Science, computer science, engineering, media technology, and business and hospitality;
  • Nursing and health professions;
  • Biology, health, criminology, fitness and wellness, and computer science;
  • Psychology, sociology, statistics, and criminology;
  • Psychology, biology, and neuroscience;
  • Life Science, humanities & social sciences, psychology, business, computer science, and mental health; and
  • Medicine, health professions, and nursing.

CourseSmart's electronic textbooks are generally available for 50 percent off the cost of print textbooks, according to the company, and allow students to access their textbooks from personal computers. The electronic versions also support highlighting, electronic notes, search, and copy and paste.

CourseSmart currently offers about 7,000 textbooks in electronic format. Further information can be found here.

About the Author

Dan Thompson is a freelance writer based in Brea, CA. He can be reached here.

Featured

  • From the Kuali Days 2025 Conference: A CEO's View of Planning for AI

    How can a company serving higher education navigate the changes AI brings to ed tech? What will customers expect? CT talks with Kuali CEO Joel Dehlin, who shared his company's AI strategies with attendees at Kuali Days 2025 in Anaheim.

  • glowing blue AI sphere connected by fine light lines, positioned next to a red-orange shield with a checkmark

    Cloud Security Alliance Offers Playbook for Red Teaming Agentic AI Systems

    The Cloud Security Alliance has introduced a guide for red teaming Agentic AI systems, targeting the security and testing challenges posed by increasingly autonomous artificial intelligence.

  • Training the Next Generation of Space Cybersecurity Experts

    CT asked Scott Shackelford, Indiana University professor of law and director of the Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance, about the possible emergence of space cybersecurity as a separate field that would support changing practices and foster future space cybersecurity leaders.

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    OpenAI Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.