Textbook budget cuts are interfering with student’s workload, grades, extracurricular activities and home life. Using online books versus carrying the book around with you or checking one out from a teacher can be distracting.

Problems concerning the budget cuts have grown considerably. Being able to use one at home due to only having a class set and not having internet to access the online book you need.

Valerie Laureta, junior at Dimond , said “I like the idea of just using the online books, makes more room in my backpack.”

Some students agree with the idea of the online book; others do not due to lack of internet access.

Louise Hingsbergen, a junior at Dimond said, “The textbooks here aren’t in the best condition, I prefer to have one I can carry around in case the online one isn’t working,”

Some students here at Dimond would prefer the online textbook over a physical copy to make it more convenient for themselves. Others would like to have the physical copy just in case the online book crashes or lags.

The online book can be very helpful for some but not as helpful for the students who do not have internet access at home or time to wait until the next school day because their assignment is due that day.

Only having access to the online book can cause student’s grades to falter and put more stress on that particular student if they are not able to access that online book.

Checking books out from your teacher is another concern that can be quite difficult.

Especially concerning if you only have a certain amount of books and multiple classes that use that same book, you can’t check a book out to every student.

“ We can’t even look our Geology book up online because it’s a college level book, so we have to make sure we finish our work in class, we can check out a book, but I’d rather not have to do that because then I have to make sure I bring it back, and I don’t want to have to pay if it gets lost,” said Hingsbergen.

Students burdened by having to carry books around all day and others are being burdened by not having internet access at home to use the online book.

Especially for students with little to no internet access at home, it is important to have access to books in good condition.

Books falling apart is another problem that can be a burden, especially if the pages are ripped and falling out. It would be so much more helpful if students had new books along with an online version of the book.

Hingsbergen said, “My books are mostly falling apart and pages are ripped. I just want a new book that doesn’t fall apart in my hands.”