The Benefits of Traditional Textbooks Over E-Books

e-book (Photo credit: Ángela Espinosa)

by Jules Mariano

Many people say traditional textbooks are on their way out. To some, this is still far from being wholly truthful.

There will still be students and book readers who will always prefer printed copies over ebooks. Thus, it is to be expected that even if ebooks become the more common and widely used form of reference materials, traditional books will still exist.

Some experts assert that the fate of printed books will be like the fate of cassettes in the past. When CDs first became popular, there were still many cassette users who have sworn not to abandon cassette players and tapes.

But eventually, CDs apparently became more preferred and used. Of course, some people still prefer cassettes.

In the case of traditional textbooks versus ebooks, many are still thinking it is impossible for printed books to become obsolete. The following benefits of printed reference materials compared to electronic formats may change your opinion about this matter.

Printed books can be truly 'owned'

Many users feel truly 'owning' the printed books they purchase. Full ownership may be obtained by making an item a part of the owner. To many, that can be in the form of physically owning the material and even writing in it. Ownership is not just physical but also irrevocable. You may agree that owning a right to read content of a digital file is different from owning a book that will sit beside you.

Printed books can be lent or borrowed

One of the disadvantages of ebooks is that those can never be loaned or borrowed, unless you agree to hand over your ereader or device to others, which can be awkward or uncomfortable on your part. eBook distributors make sure the downloaded content upon purchase cannot be re-distributed or shared to others. Thus, a traditional book has the advantage of being able to serve as many readers or students during its life span.

Printed reference materials offer experience

Traditional books facilitate tactile experience. In comparison, ebooks are reducing books into mere words. That is where the major difference sets in. Conventional books can be held, touched, and even smelled - experiences that combine to make books. In contrast, ebooks create experiences similar to playing videos and shuffling music-forgettable and not worthwhile.

Used books are advantageous

And who can ignore the usefulness of used reference materials? Traditional textbooks can be bought new (expensive) or used (much cheaper). There are still other options when buying conventional books. That is why ebooks will always be costly as you can never find used eBook copies across the Internet.

Jules Mariano is a full-time freelance search engine and social media marketing specialist and a web developer specializing in web content development. He is the co-founder of VPRO Digital Marketing. He currently writes for BookGator.

BookGator is a social platform where students, instructors, and student interest groups can work together to reduce cost of textbooks and education in general. Visit their site to read more about traditional textbooks and why it is still useful even in today's new age of technological innovation.

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