The Plymouth eBook Project aims to provide eBook versions of core texts to all students for free through a multi-year deal with publishers. This levels the playing field by ensuring all students have access to required readings. Students responded positively in surveys, appreciating the accessibility, portability, and note-taking features of eBooks. However, rolling out the program university-wide poses challenges in coordinating with academics and negotiating deals with multiple publishers. The project aims to expand access to eBooks for 6,700 students across 120 programs by September 2014 while developing new partnerships around content delivery.

1. Plymouth eBook Project
Phil Gee

3. the idea
• customer is the school, not its
students (core texts).

5. key benefits
• teach knowing ALL students can access
reading (anywhere)
• level playing field
• note sharing (for starters ... nexus for
educational tech)
• frees up library resources.

6. works well because
• books ‘belong’ to student*
• read anywhere, any time
• encourages ‘reading for a
degree’

7. current provision
subject (no. books)
subject (no. books)
psychology (23)
geography (5)
environmental sci (6)
biomedical Sciences (7)
marine biology (5)
biological Sciences (5)
earth sciences (4)
maths & statistics (12)
computing (8)
accountancy (3).

8. good for publishers
• much more predictable
• multi-year deal cost and
market advantages
• universities less likely to
pirate their stuff

9. good for us
• we do our job more
effectively
• we have happy students

10. survey
Eighty-six first-year Psychology undergraduates at Plymouth University responded
any positive comments?
any negative comments?
I think its a fantastic scheme. Instead of having to lug
around heavy books every day, I can read all of the books
and make my own personal notes and highlight onto both
of my laptops and take them everywhere with only the
need for a small bag (as I have a netbook laptop). Its very
accessible and its even better that apart from whilst
downloading the books, the internet is not even needed.
Fantastic!

11. survey
Eighty-six first-year Psychology undergraduates at Plymouth University responded
any positive comments?
any negative comments?
Puts everyone at an
advantage right from the
beginning of the course and
not only the people who
can afford books. saves
waiting in an endless waiting its harder to read alot on a
list for a book. easily
computer screen i feel it
accessed and portable.
strains my eyes more than a
paper book

12. survey
102 first-year Psychology undergraduates at Plymouth University responded in May
2013
any positive comments?
any negative comments?
Very useful, particularly for
Have none. I think this was a
students lacking the resources great initiative.
to acquire the books in print,
which can be very expensive.
Also, as university courses
become increasingly grounded
in digital media, the ebooks
scheme was a good way to roll
with the times.

13. survey
102 first-year Psychology undergraduates at Plymouth University responded in May
2013
any positive comments?
any negative comments?
I find it much easier to read from my computer/phone
as Im much more used to reading articles etc. online
than I am to reading books. Also, not having to
physically carry around the books makes things much
easier for me. Making notes and highlighting is also
much easier, as is searching for these. Searching for
specific terms is also far easier with an eBook.

14. survey
Eighty-six first-year Psychology undergraduates at Plymouth University responded
any positive comments?
I like the on line tutorials
on the e books they help
me. Also I prefer to read e
books in bed as I can make
the print bigger and I dont
drop it on my chihuihua
dog, like i do with normal
books.
any negative comments?
i found it odd reading books
from a computer screen but
soon got used to it. I do
prefer the printed books
but want to get more used
to the e books. Also they
are really good for the
environment.

15. survey conclusions
• students like the scheme
• the format (pdf or reflowable) makes a
difference
• 55% Psych Stage 1 had heard of scheme prior
to joining us. Of these, 44% said that eBooks
had influenced their decision.
• we need to do some training

16. goal: september 2014
• new Plymouth undergraduates get core
texts at start of course
• 120 programmes
• 450 modules
• 6700 students.

17. challenge: working with
academics
• herding cats would be easier
• decision: which available texts suitable?
• commit to several years?
• email isn’t enough
• a new cost.

18. challenge: working with
publishers
• like herding partially-trained cats
• variation in digital & institutional
strategies
• variation in pricing policy
• RRP RIP?.

19. challenge: working
together
• find ways to collect & share data
• focus on service not products
• clear and realistic pricing

20. final thoughts
• really exciting time in academic publishing
• opportunity to put quality (& enhanced?)
texts in to back pockets
• chance to develop new partnerships &
ways of thinking about content.

24. survey
eighty-six first-year Psychology undergraduates at Plymouth University responded
print
I prefer studying from
36%
combinaeBooks
tion
6%
58%.

25. survey
eighty-six first-year Psychology undergraduates at Plymouth University responded
yes
no
Have you bought any of the
books in the bundle in print
form?
52%
48%
Did you buy books on the
supplementary reading lists?
29%
71%.

26. suppliers
Sage
Pearson
Hodder
Cengage
McGraw Hill
Taylor & Francis