Oliver Obst reported the findings from a large-scale iPad trial in Münster – a project he first mentioned at the 2013 AGMB conference in Berlin, the outcome of which many of us have been eagerly awaiting.

With the transition of journals to the on-line format completed, the Münster ZB Medizin investigated the potential of a similar conversion of student textbooks. A survey amongst students showed strong penetration of traditional (i.e. print) textbooks, complemented with on-line (multiple choice) training materials, lecture notes and on-line textbooks. Students tend to use the lecture notes in electronic format, annotating them and sharing them within their revision groups through cloud services.

The Münster library decided to build on the popularity of the tablet as a learning and revision tool, and piloted loanable, pre-loaded iPads (85 of them!) alongside content bundles for download to students’ personal iPads (70 of those). Students quickly adopted the iPad, even changing their revision habits to make best use of the new tool. The learning tools also integrate with external tools, such as communication or calendar.

So is the iPad the heir to the throne? Oliver Obst’s answer was along the lines that – although each medium was so unique there was never a 100% successor to anything -, the iPad integrates the functions of the textbook with many additional ones. A future device that expands the capabilities of the platform even further, might, indeed, replace the printed textbook for good. However, the big hurdle of making content available, in the form of site-licensed apps, will have to be overcome.