Professors and students were excited when electronic readers, such as the Amazon Kindle and Apple iPad, were released. With many students complaining about expensive textbooks, universities are trying to find ways to lower costs. So when the opportunity to participate in a year-long pilot program for the Kindle arose, universities across the nation did not hesitate.

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, seven universities were asked to test the Kindle in a classroom setting. After a few months...