Students may be able to save some money if a new trend in the textbook industry continues.
New Web sites have sprung up offering free online textbooks.
One such site is run by Flat World Knowledge, a publishing company specializing in the online publishing field, where users can view, edit and highlight their online book at no cost.
"We're opening up access to knowledge for the people who want it, " said Eric Frank, a co-founder of the company.
PDF files or hard copies can be ordered for a fee. Frank said black-and-white versions of the online books are available for $35, and color textbooks cost more.
Industries are going digital, and publishing companies offering only print copies are feeling the impact, Frank said.
"They haven't changed their model, but the world around them has completely changed," said Frank, who used to work with higher education publishers.
Frank said no advertising would be allowed on the site in order to limit distraction, and most of Flat World's profit will come from supplementary materials.
Flat World Knowledge launched a pilot program with 26 universities this fall, and UF was one of them.
Jorge Villegas, UF assistant advertising professor, uses an online book on the site. Villegas said he was searching for a book with new material, and the lack of cost was an added bonus.
"It's a good change to the traditional image of the textbook," Villegas said. "They are ridiculously expensive nowadays."
A similar site is run by Lulu, which is not a publishing company, but provides tools for self-publishing and a market for selling. Many books may be downloaded for free.
University of Florida Bookstore director Lynne Vaughan said more than 1,100 e-books are offered through the store at about half the price of a tangible textbook.
Vaughan said she was unsure how publishers such as Flat World Knowledge could profit, but that electronic books should lighten many backpacks in the future.
"I don't know about the free part," she said. "The digital part is here to stay and grow."
