Transition to eBook Provision: A Commentary on the Preferences and Adoption of eBooks by Chemistry Undergraduates

Abstract

When the word textbook is used, the common image in our minds is that of a physical book, but textbook provision has been impacted by the revolution in digital technology. eBooks are now commonplace in higher education with many university libraries moving to an "e-first" policy. The attitudes of chemistry undergraduates to printed and digital texts were explored using survey data and library analytics. Results suggest that chemistry students have not fully embraced the use of ebooks in their reading, and departments and institutions moving to an e-first policy may benefit from designing class activities which expose students to the ebook service early in their undergraduate programmes.