News

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.