These strategies will help you design an eBook implementation

eBook-webAs districts increasingly move to digital content, many school leaders are chucking printed textbooks in favor of the more interactive content that eBooks and digital texts can offer.

Ann Fondren, retired district library coordinator for Spotsylvania County Schools (Va.), outlined a number of key considerations district library media specialists and administrators must keep in mind as they move to eBooks during “Take the Plunge with eBooks,” an edWeb webinar.

“I believe it’s eBooks and print books that can live quite happily in your library,” Fondren said. “eBooks are just another format to enhance our collections–I don’t believe eBooks eliminate the need for print books or will anytime soon.”

In Spotsylvania County, the district launched Follett eBooks district-wide through Destiny Library Manager, funded with division end-of-year money.

Recent data from Scholastic indicates that the percentage of children who have read an eBook has almost doubled since 2010–25 percent versus 46 percent. Half of children ages 9-17 said they would read more book for fun if they had greater access to eBooks.

(Next page: 8 considerations for eBooks)

Laura Ascione

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