Bookstore Digital Platform – Shawn Gilbertson

Just over a year ago, the University of Waterloo Bookstore and over 20 other member bookstores of the Canadian Campus Retail Associates supported the development of a digital content platform. The generic site, Campus E-Bookstore, can be accessed by students at UW through the Booklook search engine. For example, by searching “Bronte” in the Author/Title search field, you will see an embedded link to the site under the title “Jane Eyre”. The first phase of the platform allows students to download popular public domain titles in the open epub format. These ebooks, known as digital study versions offer students high quality alternatives to traditional course materials. Most important, they are free and can be viewed on many mobile smart devices and epub friendly e-readers. Further development of the site will take place in phases in late 2009 and early 2010 which will offer students and faculty moreĀ  options to traditional content…