Despite the energy needed to run an iPad, and the materials required to build the device, it seems like a financially and environmentally sound decision. The costs for textbooks and amount of paper needed to print them is astonishing. Publishers will still make money through licensing textbooks to schools. Having worked at a school that was moving to electronic versions of texts, there was a huge savings to be had by switching from a paper-based book to the paperless version.
There are numerous accounts of schools and libraries making the switch to e-readers. One media specialist in Canton, GA started small with five Kindles. A few traditional New England prep schools have gone as far as removing the books from the library altogether in order to make way for interactive learning centers. On Ning, the social network site where people can create groups, there is a section for educators using ebooks.
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