Will textbook plan hurt kids’ education: Better to rely more on e-books?

A new chemistry textbook can cost $270 for students at Camden County College in New Jersey. But is the answer to ask professors to use the same book for six or more semesters in a orw? To Camden’s credit, the plan is voluntary for the professors, and it is experimenting with e-books, too. I’m just curious if more emphasis on e-books–maybe even with a Freeload Press-style approach using ads to drive down the costs–wouldn’t be a better answer for students in fast-changing disciplines.