One of the big questions in launching an eBook program, especially in private and parochial schools, is who purchases the book?

Back in the day of printed books, my school had all the students purchase their textbooks from the bookstore. Sometimes it was on campus, sometimes from bookstores, and then eventually through online bookstores and resellers. The problem with this model is that students either had to purchase a used book, or shell out a ton of money for a new copy. In the case of AP courses, this was typically over $100 per title.

In researching eBooks, I discovered several money saving features. First of all, eBooks were on average 30-40% cheaper than printed texts. Without the additional production costs and shipping the overall costs were much less than traditional texts. On top of this, I checked into bulk pricing. I discovered that across the board, buying eBook codes in bulk would drop the price to our families even more. Here was the issue; I would have to manage all the ordering, codes, and distribution. Then, I would have to develop a budget on what to charge as a fee to cover these curriculum needs. (This whole adventure will be another post.) At least I didn’t have to worry about where to store the eBooks.

Long story short, parents loved the idea of paying a flat fee and then getting all the material their students needed. They no longer spent their summers worrying about where to get the best deals, tracking down the correct editions, and hunting through used book stores. Also included in our “eBook” fees are funds that cover everything needed for the classroom from beakers for science class to paint for art.