By Adrian Medina, Andrew Amaya and Jasmine Canada
Long Beach State’s physical book sales continue to dwindle as the campus moves into a digital era of teaching, with students preferring more technology in their classes.
With physical textbooks becoming less popular amid the growing trend of digital textbooks, the Beach Shops Bookstore has seen the sale of physical textbooks decrease dramatically since 2020.
According to Associated Students Inc. Communications Manager Shannon Couey, 7% of bookstore sales were conducted through the website compared to 93% being done in-person at the bookstore.
Couey said CSULB officials jumped on the trend of online bookstores when the campus bookstore website was established in 2008.
The chart showcases data from Spring 2020 to Spring 2024 on the sale of physical books at Beach Shops Bookstore, which has continued to decline besides the uptick in Fall 2021, according to Associate Director of Bookstore Operations, Rico Ovalles. Graphic credit: Andrew Amaya.
Students started warming to the idea of digital textbooks in the early 2010s, and the idea has been well-received at CSULB.
A two-year study done at Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University, in 2011 found that 91% of students said they use a digital textbook on an eReader as their primary or secondary textbook after the availability of digital textbooks became equal to the availability of physical books.
Several students, including Wai Soltow, a fourth-year computer science major, and William Raymond, a first-year computer science major, support the rise of digital textbooks and technology in classrooms.
Soltow and Raymond said they do not mind textbooks going fully digital to replace physical books. Soltow said that digital is more convenient.
Novels and merchandise have replaced where textbook shelves used to be decades ago at the Beach Shops Bookstore. Photo credit: Andrew Amaya
CSULB officials adapted to the new reliance on digital textbooks for classes by implementing the Day 1 Textbook Access program.
According to the CSULB Day 1 Textbook Access program’s website, the program provides required class books online for a flat fee of $250 per semester, which grants full-time students access to all books.
Students may opt out of the program during the first two weeks after a semester starts.
Couey said the number of users who opted into the program decreased by 1% from the Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 semester.
Other college campuses that use the Day 1 Textbook Access program have reported similar numbers, with a 1-2% decrease in opted-in users, according to Couey.
The program lists three goals on the website: accessibility, affordability and sustainability for students.
Despite the program’s goal of serving students, there is some pushback on the program and its price.
Chloe Steffen, a graduate student majoring in communications, is concerned about the program’s cost and implementation.
“It’s forced upon you,” Steffen said. “A lot of students don’t have textbooks that they pay for because instructors provide them.”
Despite the concerns, digital textbooks will continue to be used and surpass physical book usage for classes; as Couey said, 85% of the books given out by the Day 1 Textbook Access program are digital.
Although the bookstore still sells select physical books to students who want to purchase them, this is becoming increasingly uncommon as more students use digital textbooks instead of physical ones.
