4. Opening digital bookstores

College bookstores, long competing with online vendors and rental companies, are now digitizing their textbook sales. Providers like Akademos work with colleges to move textbook sales online, which academic leaders say can help students also select the most affordable option. 

Virginia Wesleyan announced in September it moved book sales online, but leaders told EdScoop that the shift freed up space in the physical bookstore for items people might want to purchase in-person, like apparel. Keith Moore, vice president for campus life and operational management, said that students adjusted quickly because they were used to ordering online, but that Akademos worked with the university to help administration and faculty transition to the new system.