We know we are standing on the edge of a precipice. The notion that a shift is imminent comes because of several parallel developments. First, electronic book technology is advancing rapidly, with better screen resolution and longer battery life. All of them allow downloading of whole books from the Internet into their memories, permitting students to carry many books in one lightweight device. The devices allow word searches and have built-in dictionary functions.
Electronic books are part of an increase in reference and scholarly material available online.
Second, the amount of material available for downloading is now enormous. And third, a generation is coming of age for whom absorbing digital information seems easy and natural. Even if not many young people seem ready to curl up with a hand-held screen for reading a novel, the idea of reading textbook or reference material from screens is increasingly common. Today, computers are an integral part of higher education. You can see where electronic books would fit into the shape of academic life.