Networks of textbook publication in an age of new digital media

Over the past two years, I have researched the complexities of e-textbooks and how the rise of new digital media has influenced the network of the textbook industry. My research traces various connections and disconnections within this network that affect the educational practices of both student and professors within the university. My findings show a fundamental disconnect between students and the rest of the network of the textbook industry. This disconnect stems from students’ lack of choice and authority in the final textbook product and needs to be understood by educators in order to address student needs. Textbooks have been used for several decades as the primary references for many students and professors/instructors within the university. With Web 2.0, the organization of the used book market, and the proliferation of new digital media, the textbook industry has shifted its approach to the university student market. This shift requires further exploration.