NIU students may soon have lighter backpacks as more professors make the switch to online textbooks.

“That’s kind of been the going trend in the last few years,” said Ryan Licari, assistant textbook manager at the Village Commons Bookstore, 901 Lucinda Ave.. “There has been an increase in some of the professors moving towards a digital E-book instead of a traditional textbook.”

Charles Downing, professor of Operations Management and Information Systems, is one of these professors.

Downing said he exclusively uses online textbooks for his OMIS 351, Information Systems in Organizations, class.

He also said he likes the book because it offers students a free version they can view online as well as a cheap print version for students to buy if they prefer having an actual book.

“The book is one of the best books I’ve ever used,” Downing said. “[The students] like the fact that they’re in control as far as what options they use. They like the currency, and they like the content.”

While some textbooks are available for free online, many more require students to buy an access code in order to view the book on the publisher’s website. There are also cases where a printed version of the text is packaged along with the access code.

These versions are somewhat cheaper, but they can’t be sold back at the VCB, Licari said.

Online textbooks can’t be sold back to the University Bookstore, 340 Carroll Ave., either, said manager Don Turk.

While there are students who enjoy the convenience, other students prefer a tangible copy. Junior OMIS major Korrey Stralka has taken two classes with strictly online textbooks, and said she does not like them.

“I didn’t like using the online textbook,” Stralka said. “I just can’t read off a computer screen for that long, it hurts my eyes. I’d rather have something to hold on to and actually read.”

Junior business major Kelsey Ryndak said she agrees with Stralka and prefers print versions; however, she said that she can see the benefits of online books.

“I wouldn’t mind it, but it would be hard if I didn’t have a computer with me,” Ryndak said. “But I would like it a lot better if it was free or cheaper.”