Digital content services provider Ingram Digital, US, has announced a significant increase in the student and faculty adoption of VitalSource, its interactive e-textbook platform. In January 2009, the platform saw more than a 600 percent rise over the same period in 2008.
VitalSource allows publishers to reach out to emerging digital markets while also protecting their content from illegal use and piracy. The interactive format allows users to search, highlight and annotate their texts. VitalSource-powered e-books can be downloaded to a user's PC or Mac, making them accessible anywhere, anytime - even when the user is no longer connected to the Internet. The VitalSource Bookshelf application stores, indexes and displays the e-books and functions as a virtual meeting place for readers to trade notes, tips and techniques.
Bookshelf, an interactive e-book reader, is claimed to experience continued exponential growth as e-books are increasingly adopted by the higher education community. After adding 100,000 new users over the course of its first 10 years, the number of users has tripled since June, surpassing 300,000 users in January 2009. In January alone, 44,453 users downloaded Bookshelf.
The Bookshelf platform enables social networking in the classroom by allowing students and faculty to share their notes with each other - another feature seen to be contributing to its rapid adoption. In January 2009, over 3 million notes and highlights were shared. Professors are also choosing to share their notes with students.
The latest version of the platform, Bookshelf 5.1, incorporates changes based upon feedback from users. It features faster search capabilities, cited as the most valuable feature by students, as well as improved print functions and enhanced organising and downloading capabilities.
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