About CourseSmart

Media

As the world's largest provider of digital course materials, CourseSmart connects education publishers to consumers by providing an efficient distribution platform for their best-selling content in digital form. Founded in 2007 in the US by five publishers (Cengage Learning, Palgrave Macmillan, McGraw Hill, Pearson, and Wiley) and launched in 2012 in the UK, CourseSmart provides services to four business segments: online direct retail for students; indirect distribution of course materials to students through bookstores; online faculty textbook evaluation services; and institutional solutions for faculty and students that are integrated within campus technology ecosystems.

CourseSmart improves the educational process and experience by offering all users anywhere, any–time access, to the course content they need, including those with vision– and print–related disabilities.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

NEWS RELEASES

NUS study finds 81 per cent of UK university students would like to see textbooks as part of fees
26 September 2012, London, UK

Eight more publishers sign deals with CourseSmart International. UK's first digital textbook company continues to expand.
14 September 2012, London, UK

CourseSmart eTextbooks to be available from the UK's leading bookseller Blackwell's
09 August 2012, London, UK

CourseSmart hires Emily Lawrence
12 June 2012, London, UK

CourseSmart announces online eCommerce platform for the UK and Europe
16 April 2012, London, UK

CourseSmart unveils its English language higher education sampling platform in the UK and Europe
2 March 2012, London, UK

IN THE NEWS

Student discount: how to save money on your university course textbooks

The Telegraph, 11 October 2012

Students' Demands, Study Results, and Digital Realities

The Huffington Post, 26 September 2012

NUS Study Finds 81% of Students Would Like to See Textbooks as Part of Fees

UNI University News & Insight, 26 September 2012

CourseSmart expands with eight more publishers

Education Investor, 14 September 2012

Eight more publishers join CourseSmart

The Bookseller, 14 September 2012

The Importance of Embracing Technology in Education

Bookbrunch, 12 September 2012

Interview with Fionnuala Duggan

Bookbrunch, 28 August 2012

Online academic material has costs too

The Guardian Media Network, 24 August 2012

Get up to 50% off eTextbooks with CourseSmart

Student Beans, 15 August 2012

CourseSmart and Blackwell's Form Distribution Partnership

Good E Reader, 09 August 2012

CourseSmart and Blackwell's link up

The Bookseller, 09 August 2012

In academia, 'e' can't automatically mean free

Wired.co.uk, 07 August 2012

Job Moves: June 14, 2012

Publishers Weekly, 14 June 2012
Emily Lawrence has been appointed publisher account and catalogue manager in CourseSmart's U.K. office. She was previously with Palgrave Macmillan.

Emily Lawrence joins CourseSmart

The Bookseller, 13 June 2012
CourseSmart has appointed Emily Lawrence to its UK office as publisher account and catalogue manager.

Students promised online textbook savings

Elearning, 26 April 2012
The launch of online e-commerce platform CourseSmart, a provider of e-textbooks and digital course materials, will enable students in the UK and Europe to save up to 40% on textbook costs by renting them online for periods of 180 days or more.

The Digital Backpack

The Huffington Post, 25 April 2012
Not long ago pencils, notebooks and print textbooks reigned supreme as classroom necessities, today the higher education landscape and student experience is dramatically different as eTextbooks gain momentum and students acquire themselves a digital backpack.

CourseSmart may expand into trade books

The Bookseller, 18 April 2012
E-textbook rental specialist CourseSmart is considering expanding its offer to trade titles, the company has revealed, as it announced details of its retail offer to students.

E-books venture to target UK students

The Independent, 16 April 2012
US digital textbook rental service CourseSmart is launching in the UK today, to coincide with The London Book Fair. The company works with 30 publishers in the US, and is planning to work with a similar amount in the UK.

London Book Fair 2012: The Great Debate: Will Publishers Perish?

Publishers Weekly, 16 April 2012
Will today's existing conglomerates continue to dominate the future of publishing? Or, will technology enable a rising tide of upstarts and independents that will forever change the publishing landscape?

CourseSmart launces in the UK

The Bookseller, 2 March 2012
US digital textbook rental service CourseSmart has soft-launched in the UK, with industry insiders suggesting that its move could herald 'the year of the digital textbook'.

###

NUS study finds 81 per cent of UK university students would like to see textbooks as part of fees

26 September 2012

-- Students also turning to digital for their education, with 77 per cent using online devices for academic purposes, and 63 per cent saying this helps them learn better. --

LONDON, UK, 26 September 2012 – In a world of increased tuition fees, students are expecting more from their universities. A study released today by CourseSmart, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course materials, and the NUS, indicated 81 per cent of UK students felt the university should be offering textbooks free as part of their fees.

The study surveyed 1,652 UK students on university expectations, digital use, and online course material, during August 2012.

Online devices (laptop, computer, smart phone, etc) and education appear increasingly linked in today's university environment, the study revealed. For 63 per cent of students, online devices were reported as helping them learn better. 77 per cent of students said they predominantly use their online device for academic purposes. 95 per cent use their devices for at least some course–related reading.

For institutions, these numbers are significant, particularly when one considers just how 'plugged in' students now are. 99 per cent of surveyed students reported owning at least one online device. A third used tablet eBook readers. These numbers are set to expand, with 60 per cent planning to buy a device in the next 12 months.

Fionnuala Duggan, Managing Director – International of CourseSmart said, "In this environment, universities could possibly differentiate themselves by offering more connected and tech–savvy tools. For instance, offering eTextbooks (digital versions of print textbooks that can be used across any device) could combine the shifting demands of students with their current online habits. We found 98 per cent of students would be happy to do some course–related reading on a device. Perhaps this signals where education is going."

Rachel Wenstone, Vice President (Higher Education), NUS said, "We need to change how courses are taught to meet the needs of the 21st century student. Technology provides a good accessible way of learning and this must be balanced against the need for high quality course content and traditional delivery to provide a high quality student learning experience."

Laura Plant, MPhil student at Cambridge University said, "I go online for so much of my learning. My laptop is with me almost all the time: in lectures, in the library, in my room. My friends also use their computers and smartphones for university work. I honestly can't imagine not being connected. While my university does provide some online things, it would be great if it offered even more."

"Ultimately, technology and education interact in complex, fascinating ways. There are many details still to be ironed out – particularly by institutions and academics. What is clear is that today's students are going online – and that education needs to be there too", concluded Duggan.

Click here for the full NUS study report.

###

Eight more publishers sign deals with CourseSmart International. UK's first digital textbook company continues to expand.

14 September 2012

-- SAGE, Edinburgh University Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Gill & Macmillan, CAB International, Goodfellow Publishers and WW Norton sign deals with CourseSmart, increasing the amount of digital textbooks and online course materials available to students and faculty. --

-- Students will have more choice in digital course material rental at up to 50% off the purchase price of the book. --

LONDON, UK, 14 September 2012 – CourseSmart, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course material, today announced partnerships with SAGE, Edinburgh University Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Gill & Macmillan, CAB International, Goodfellow Publishing and WW Norton for its international online store, Coursesmart.co.uk.

This brings the count of CourseSmart's international publishing members to over thirteen with each publisher aiming to add the majority of their best selling and core front list titles in time for the new academic year in September 2012. It expands CourseSmart's international catalogue of university textbooks to over 4,000.

The platform – which is open to all publishers – launched with its founder publishing companies, Cengage, McGraw–Hill, Macmillan, Pearson and Wiley. Last month, CourseSmart also announced a partnership with Blackwell's bookstores to offer CourseSmart textbooks through its shops and online.

Fionnuala Duggan, Managing Director – International said, "We are delighted to have textbooks from SAGE, Edinburgh University Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Gill & Macmillan, CAB International, Goodfellow Publishing and WW Norton on the platform. We are constantly adding relevant new content from publishers to build on the wide range of titles already available to both lecturers via our digital sampling platform; and students via the website".

"We look forward to partnering with additional publishers as CourseSmart continues to expand. Our goal is to work with as many publishers as possible, as this gives students the choice of the widest possible catalogue of eTextbooks for digital rental access", added Duggan.

A key differentiator for CourseSmart is its catalogue offering. In the US CourseSmart represents 90% of US core higher education course material, which provides its 3.3million users a great advantage. CourseSmart is aiming to offer a similar sized catalogue to its international market.

Clive Parry, Global Marketing Director, SAGE said "The way students discover, read and access information is evolving and we are seeing a growing demand for access at the click of a button. SAGE was founded with the belief that education is intrinsically valuable and we are committed to reviewing and developing products that effectively support teaching and learning. eTextbooks are increasingly a large part of this. We are pleased to be working closely with CourseSmart to ensure our key front list titles are ready and available electronically when students go back to university in September".

Neil Broomfield, Business Development Director, John Wiley & Sons "By joining the platform, academic publishers have the ability to provide lecturers and students with an exciting new digital option for accessing their content. CourseSmart's shared delivery platform provides a one–stop–shop for selection and delivery of course materials and an e–commerce platform that transcends publisher boundaries".

CourseSmart launched in the UK in January 2012 with its sampling and eCommerce platforms.

###

CourseSmart eTextbooks to be available from the UK's leading bookseller Blackwell's

9 August 2012

-- Blackwell's will offer CourseSmart eTextbook rentals through a white label integration with its eCommerce website and stores. --

LONDON, UK, 9 August 2012 – CourseSmart, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course material, is today announcing a partnership with Blackwell's, the UK's leading retailer of academic, professional and educational materials in the UK.

Blackwell's will integrate with CourseSmart to offer its customers a wide range of eTextbooks and eResources through its website and physical stores. This partnership will enable Blackwell's to supply 21st century eTextbooks around the clock to its customers. It will also deliver students cost savings with CourseSmart rentals (of 180 or 360 days) available at up to 50% off the purchase price.

"At Blackwell's, our priority is always to provide our customers up–to–the–minute access to the best textbooks and digital course materials," said David Prescott, Managing Director, Blackwell's Bookshop and Online. "We have selected to work with CourseSmart in the UK because we believe their technology platform meets the needs of today's students by being both interactive and inclusive, bringing a valuable addition to the Blackwell's portfolio of textbooks both in–store and online."

Fionnuala Duggan, Managing Director – International for CourseSmart said, "We are delighted to be partnering with Blackwell's as the leading academic booksellers in the UK. As CourseSmart has experienced in the US, booksellers have always been an essential part of the distribution process. Through working with booksellers we can make sure that the full range of the new eTextbook functionality is available to all students on any budget."

"CourseSmart is committed to providing a device–agnostic platform which allows access to eTextbooks from any web enabled device, with student–oriented features built in such as search, note taking and bookmarking. Regardless of the device, users are delivered the same access, page appearance and numbering they would have with a print book," said Duggan.

CourseSmart currently serves over 3.3 million users worldwide and represents 90% of US core higher education course material. It launched in the UK in January 2012 with its sampling and eCommerce platforms. Currently, CourseSmart is available at around 1,000 American campus bookstores. These bookstores represent a significant proportion of CourseSmart's sales.

###

CourseSmart hires Emily Lawrence

12 June 2012

LONDON, UK, 12 June 2012 – CourseSmart, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course material, today announces that it has appointed Emily Lawrence as Publisher Account and Catalogue Manager in their UK office.

Emily will be responsible for working with publishers to support the on boarding process, helping new publishers make their content available on CourseSmart and for managing catalogue growth in eTextbooks and eResources. She will be based in CourseSmart's international head office in Euston, London.

With over 12 years' experience in the publishing industry, Emily joins CourseSmart from Palgrave Macmillan Publishers where she held the role of Marketing Services Manager with responsibility for developing the marketing strategy for Palgrave's main catalogues and events.

###

CourseSmart announces online eCommerce platform for the UK and Europe

16 April 2012

-- The countdown has begun for students to save up to 40% with rental access to university textbooks --

LONDON, UK, 16 April 2012 – CourseSmart, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course material, is today announcing plans to launch its online eCommerce platform. The platform will enable students to save up to 40% on textbook costs by renting them online for periods of 180 days or over. Students will have access to the eTextbooks anywhere, at any time, from any web –enabled device including laptops and smartphones.

Students will be guaranteed that page fidelity will be maintained on all devices; this, along with note taking, bookmarking , printing and copying make this the ideal platform for digital course materials for university students.

Students across the UK and Europe will be able to purchase their digital course materials from CourseSmart in time for their new academic year as the eCommerce platform is scheduled for release in April 2012.

CourseSmart's eCommerce platform will provide all of the functions of traditional textbooks, enhanced by today's technologies:

• Anytime, anywhere access to materials via www.coursesmart.co.uk or through various mobile devices and tablets;
• Search function for topics within a single book or across an entire eTextbook stack;
• Highlighting and note–taking capabilities within the eTextbook, which can be easily recalled or searched;
• Page fidelity and preservation, mirroring the print edition's page numbers, full text, diagrams, illustrations and charts;
• Ability to cut and paste as well as email sections, notes and highlighted text;
• The choice to print up to 50% of the eTextbook; and
• Accessible titles for students and instructors with print-related disabilities

Fionnuala Duggan, Managing Director of CourseSmart International, said: "The world of textbooks is changing. Through the proliferation of tablets, handheld devices, laptops and computers, the academic world is moving online and interacting with students like never before. We are very excited to be at the forefront of this evolution. The eCommerce platform will help students to save money, instructors to engage online, publishers to access a developing market, and booksellers to be part of this significant development in publishing".

CourseSmart has also recently launched its Online Sampling Platform, which enables instructors to preview and select texts for students to use for the higher education market in the UK and Europe. This platform allows publishers to distribute textbooks for review by instructors, save money through reduced sampling costs, gather better data from sampling and offer instructors multi–platform access to digital books free of charge.

###

CourseSmart unveils its English language higher education sampling platform in the UK and Europe

2 March 2012

LONDON, UK, 2 March 2012 – CourseSmart, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course material, is today announcing the launch of its English language sampling platform for the higher education market in the UK and Europe. This platform will allow publishers to distribute textbooks for review by instructors, moving sample textbooks online and opening up to one of the fastest growing and most exciting developments in publishing.

Founded and owned by five publishers (Cengage Learning, Palgrave Macmillan, McGraw Hill, Pearson, and Wiley), CourseSmart currently serves over 2.5 million users worldwide and represents 90% of US core higher education course material. CourseSmart's sampling platform exists online, enabling publishers to send eTextbook samples securely to instructors and allowing instructors to search the catalogue to select titles to review.

The online sampling platform will allow publishers to seamlessly and securely send digital book samples to instructors, thereby:

• Saving money through reduced sampling costs
• Gathering better data from sampling to tailor their offering
• Offering their instructors tailored multi-platform access to digital books
• Participation in a highly discoverable platform for instructors

Benefits to instructors are:

• Single password access to a multi-publisher sampling system
• Anytime anywhere access to eTextbooks
• Instant access to any book on the platform

Fionnuala Duggan, Managing Director of CourseSmart International, said: "It's a very exciting time for the publishing industry. In an era of portable devices, eTextbooks are a natural progression for today's tech-savvy generation and our sampling platform is the first step in CourseSmart's roll out internationally. We are delighted to be working with some of the world's leading publishers to offer a wide range of eTextbooks to the UK market."

###