10,000 students have their say on textbooks

This summer the e-textbook publisher Bookboon.com surveyed nearly 10,000 students in Europe and the US about their use of printed and e-textbooks.  (The results for the Netherlands, the UK and the US have just been released - further results for Denmark and Germany will follow).The findings are of interest to publishers, librarians and academic staff - and highlight some differences between students in the US and the rest of the world.The results show that students in the US are further down the line in accepting and using e-textbooks.  Price continues to be a barrier for students everywhere while another issue that drives purchasing decisions is whether only a portion of the textbook is required reading.Key findings US

• More than 75% of students do not buy required textbooks.
• Over 90% of students feel textbooks are too expensive
• 58% prefer digital textbooks
• On average US students spend $655 per year on textbooks
• The majority are buying second hand books

• In Germany, Netherlands and the UK only 30-40/% prefer digital textbooks
• In the UK 83% do not buy required textbooks
• 95% say textbooks are too expensive