Why is Algonquin College suddenly pushing e-textbooks specifically sourced by VitalSource? It's an interesting question for sure. By pushing an institutional method, publishers, content management companies and college bypass competitive pressures on the open market. They no longer have to be concerned by the likes of Amazon, Google or Apple. The landscape of textbook sales has changed dramatically over the past 15 years, and it's no secret that publishers and colleges are feeling the pinch. An institutional approach locks $tudent$ into providing a predictable revenue for the publishers and colleges. If times get tough, it's pretty easy to drop a "college exclusive" edition and get students to pay through the nose. Likewise, there is no stopping publishers or colleges from charging exorbitant fees for upper year materials knowing that students are unlikely to abandon sunk costs. Algonquin College has already tested these waters by charging a 40% premium on books charged to students.