The Daily Collegian Survey: Students prefer printed textbooks to web By Sarah Peters COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER The majority of college students prefer printed books over e-books, according to a recent survey by the research division of the National Association of College Stores. The study found that 74 percent of students preferred printed text books to e-textbooks, NACS Public Relations Director Charles Schmidt said. The same statistics were generated last year, Schmidt said. The survey was conducted at 1,100 college campuses across the Exhibit raises awareness of local poverty By Anna Orso FOR THE COLLEGIAN More than 21.000 people in Centre County lived below the poverty level last year, a number that may be staggering to stu dents. To shed light on this issue, the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week exhibit took place Monday from 11 a m. to 2 p in. in the HUB-Robeson Center. Exhibit coordinator Mari Avicolli said the event is impor tant for getting the word out about growing numbers of homeless ness. hunger and poverty. "We want to engage students who wouldn't normally think about homelessness." Avicolli • sophomore international poli tics) said. "But it's an issue that affects our town and the people affected by it certainly think about it.” The National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is from Nov. 14 through 20 but Penn State observes it a week early because of upcoming exams. Student and community organ izations. including the State College Area Food Bank, had interactive displays set up on the first floor of the HUB-Robeson Center on Monday. Denise Watts, a food bank vol unteer said there is a demand for food now more than ever, with the bank providing emergency suste Call 814-865-2531 to get started and speak with an Account Executive today. ' ~s nMH—UUWgW>Wi«W>i,niwi»Wwnr-»Tj n'»»FCT. ■ 123 S. Burrowes St. www.collegjan.psu.edu United States, Schmidt said. Penn State Bookstore Manager Steve Fhlke said he doesn’t think there’s been a significant shift to digital yet, but it’s happening. “The first shift is to rentals, and the second shift is to digitals,” Falke said. “Faculty have to shift first in some respect, because they set the stage in the class room.” Falke said faculty have been exceptionally responsive in pro viding more information about required course materials, and students saved more than $1 mil lion in rentals this fall across all Penn State’s campuses. Keliy Rootes-Murdy'Collegia' l Denise Watts of State College, discusses homelessness in Centre County at the Homeless Exhibit in the HUB on Monday afternoon. nance to 33 percent more people this year. Watts said college stu dents can do their part, especially during the food bank’s busy holi day season. "Going to college is about learning to be a better citizen, and helping others gives you a sense of responsibility and a sense of community," she said. Natalie Roberts, a volunteer with Peers Helping Reaffirm. Educate and Empower also said it's important to spread aware ness. "Penn State is such a high tuition school, that people don't have to experience these things, but it doesn't mean they're not there,” Roberts (freshman-histo ry and political science) said. PHREE is a student group working to facilitate discussion about topics that affect women in the community Kate Thompson, another volunteer member, said it's easy for people Li ) CAI Schmidt said both professors and students are most comfort able and familiar with learning from a printed word, especially for textbooks. Cost and lack of special features, such as the inability to highlight and annotate, are top factors keeping college students from currently buying e-books, Schmidt said. The majority of e-books espe cially textbooks are like rentals in that students only have access to the material for a set period of time. Schmidt said. Falke said that while the e-book is less than 1 percent of the book store's business, rentals and e- to turn a blind eve to the issues "I know I'm ignorant, too," Thompson (freshman-anthropol ogy) said. "And I hope a lot more people stop by because people don't know much about this." Several other groups had stands set up in the HUB including Habitat for Humanity. Meals on Wheels and Bridge of Hope of Centre County. Regina Diller. executive direc tor of Bridge of Hope, said the organization reaches out to single mothers in the area suffering from homelessness and hunger. "Just because you don't see homeless people, doesn't mean they don't exist." Diller said. "It's so easy for students to do simple things to help like joining a cam pus group or participating in a fundraiser.' The Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week wall continue with various events throughout the rest of the week. Nittany Lions vs. Lehigh books will make up more and more of it as students get better at using them and faculty get more comfortable with the concept. “There's a great opportunity for collaboration, but you have to have a platform for that, and that's no small task,” Falke said. “While it's confusing, it's really exciting." While “dedicated" e-readers and applications allow students to highlight, most students are read ing e-books on their laptops. Schmidt said. Corey Ingraham (freshman security and risk analysis) said he usually buys hardback books. Something about reading off a Library board created to get student feedback .To obtain more student feed back. Penn State University Libraries has formed a student advisory board comprised of stu dent government members and library interns. "The library wants to be very student-centered." Information Literary Librarian Emily Rimland said. "We're really proud that recently, we were ranked No. 1 in student servic es... We just w ant to keep up that reputation." The advisory board kicked off its first meeting Nov. 4 and plans to meet one more time before the semester closes and about three to four times next semester, advi sory member Meghan Brady said. Brady isenior-elementaiy edu cation) served on the board as a representative for the 1 'niversity Park Undergraduate Association and said the first meeting was a success. At the meeting, she said the members focused on issues the university libraries hoped to receive student input on. One topic was the incorporation of online library services on mobile phones. "They're trying an app or a mobile smartphone friendly ver sion of a website." advisory board member Sean Goheen said. Goheen (senior-political sci ence and history), who represent ed the Council of Commonwealth Season openers for both Lady Lion Basketball and Nittany Lion basketball FREE admission for Freshmen! Friday, November 12th at 7:30 p.m Lady Lions vs. Sunday, November 14th J# JS-: . < By Kathleen Loughran COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER at 2 p.m. ...all at the Bryce Jordan Center! m * ® TR Tuesday, Nov. 9,2010 I 3 screen isn’t as tangible as the old fashioned way,” Ingraham said. Julianna Esposito (sophomore advertising) said she buys her printed books or rents them online. “I like to have the feel of the paper in my hands,” Esposito said. “I can remember things better when it’s printed in front of me.” Esposito said because every thing else at Penn State is online, she tries to stick to traditional textbooks looking at the com puter screen for too long hurts her eyes. To e-mail reporter: svpso7l@psu.edu Student Governments, said the phone application or website would include services such as a simplified version of the CAT and a library map so people do not get lost in the stacks. Overall, the members did not think the current version of the mobile program was successful, so suggestions were given at the meeting, Brady said. Eventually, the libraiy plans on having different phone models available, so students can test out the application or mobile website, Goheen said. During the meeting, members also discussed the new search engine that would combine all the databases into one place, Brady said. In addition, members spoke about adding a library book drop container in the HUB-Robeson Center, so students don’t have to walk to the library to return their books. Members plan to place the box - which will most likely be paid for by UPUA by the aquarium so it s easy for the library van to pick up the books, Goheen said. At the next meeting in December, members plan to have a presentation about the new Knowledge Commons, a renova tion being made to the library’s first floor. “It's the new library model things we would like to see in the library like more open spaces so that it's less like a museum,” Brady said. To e-mail reporter: krislo6@psu.edu Rider # ® w ? « • M W
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers