The growth of student populations, the publication of more books, the need for additional facilities, financing the construction of new facilities and acquisition of books to meet these growth patterns, present unique problems for the educational system. The same techniques have been employed for the past half-century. Traditionally, printed books have been the primary bearers of such information. However, catalogs, book reviews, trade shows, and similar means of introducing new, and sometimes old, books to interested parties, the means previously employed, is at best inefficient and, at worst, non-functional. It will only get worse in the future.
Catalogs provide limited information - a cover, sentence about author, and cursory summary.
Trade shows allow limited time for cursory reviews of books. The proper use of the internet to present the materials required, and to effectively disseminate the information, will cure many of these defects in the existing system. Buyers can see considerably more about any given title on the internet than they could ever see in a catalog. They can review the book at their leisure, and not rely on a cursory review at trade shows. And most importantly, the publication of books electronically provides several benefits not previously attainable.