future of textbooks

A government report on the future of textbooks proposes a new model for assembling copyrighted study material for courses. According to the Chronicle of Higher Ed., the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance,

proposes the creation of a "national digital marketplace" that would allow instructors to select and students to buy custom-designed texts -- a chapter from one book, a case study from another -- while protecting fair-use allowances and publishers' copyrights.

This could effectively replace much of library course reserves as we know it. Yet another example of "taking it to the network level." This time, it's nice to see it coming from a group concerned about reducing costs for students.