Move toward virtual textbooks continues

This article was written by Arjun Poi ’25 and originally published in the October 2022 issue of The ReMarker student newspaper (page 4).


As the school becomes more interconnected with technology, many textbooks are beginning to be offered in an online form alongside, or sometimes even in place of, a physical textbook.

While the online presence of a textbook isn’t the sole reason a textbook is chosen, it does make a difference when considering which book to buy.

“As a math department, we don't pick a book just because it has an online presence or an online version, but we use it more as a convenience,” Thomas B. Walker III ’73 Mathematics Department Chair Shane May said.

Online versions of textbooks are often much easier to use simply because they weigh less and take up less space.

“Say you’re going to a doctor’s appointment – you’re going to be in the car, you’re going to be at the appointment, you’re going to be moving around for three or four hours,” May said. “To me, that’s why online versions are perfect because you have everything on a thin, one-centimeter laptop that weighs two pounds. That’s wonderful.” 

But there’s a time and a place to use online versions of textbooks, and they can often be distractors in class.

“As far as using it in class, it could be problematic, because when I’m teaching and students’ computers are open, I’m just trusting that they’re where they’re supposed to be,” May said. “I realize that if a student pulls up something else, that’s really hard to police. So I’m trusting that the guys can just police themselves.” 

However, physical textbooks can be more beneficial for students in some cases.

“We always like offering hardback copies of textbooks because many boys learn better with that,” Student Store Manager Nancy Goldberg said. “But I think it’s great to have the digital version available when possible so that you can access the textbook whenever you need it.” 

This year, digital textbooks have been a solution for teachers whose physical textbooks haven’t arrived.

“Right now, in the state of the world with supply chain issues, some boys are just about to get their Algebra II books,” May said. “They were ordered in May, and we’re still waiting. So, in this case, online books have saved us. Could you imagine a teacher making digital PDFs and copies every day, probably illegally? Having that digital presence has really saved us.” 

In fact, May believes an all-online textbook future is possible.

“I think there's still a lot of good from having your hard copy at home and having the digital version with you at school for convenience,” May said. “But I honestly could see in the future having only an online book with the ability to have that book as an editable PDF – I use Notability to edit PDFs on my iPad. Is there really an advantage to having an eight-pound book? Honestly, not really. I think it's more of a preference.”