Thursday, Jan. 19, Apple released a new app called iBooks which will allow people to buy textbooks on their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

Lee Mitchell, head librarian, said the new app is exciting, but she hopes that not all books in the future will be virtual.

Mitchell said she think having both physical and e-books are important, and there are some advantages to one over the other.

“The e-textbooks are far easier for some students than regular textbooks because they don’t have to carry them back and forth,” Mitchell said.

Although e-textbooks may be more convenient in that respect, Mitchell said they also would have certain inconveniences like not being able to see page numbers and not necessarily being able to see an entire page at once on a small screen such as an iPhone or iPod touch.

“That’s what’s hard about them,” Mitchell said. “I think you need both or else you’re not going to be able to see the whole book.”

Elizabeth Doing, senior, said she would absolutely prefer having an electronic textbook over a physical textbook.

“I hate carrying around heavy books and I always seem to forget them,” Doing said. “With electronic books, there would be no fines and no need to carry around books all day that too many teachers never have us use anyway.”

Like Mitchell, Doing said she didn’t think having textbooks on an iPod touch or iPhone would be effective because the screen would be too small to read them. Doing said she would prefer to have them on another electronic device such as a tablet or laptop.

“The only downside to me would be having to buy the electronic device,” Doing said.