How Secondary Schools Should Be Using eBooks

🕐 Estimated reading time: 9 minutes | Last updated: June 2025

More secondary schools are turning to eBooks to modernise reading, improve access, and support a wide range of learners. But not every digital platform delivers what teens and teachers actually need.

Some schools invest in digital tools that go largely unused. Others struggle with low student engagement or clunky systems that frustrate staff.

If you want eBooks to make a real impact in your secondary school, it starts with choosing the right platform and using it the right way. Let’s break down how.

Table of Contents

• Why digital reading matters more in secondary schools
• Features secondary students actually use (and ignore)
• How to keep secondary students engaged with reading
• What secondary teachers need from an eBook platform
• The role of eBooks in whole-school literacy strategy
• Managing access, permissions, and privacy
• Metrics that matter: how to track success
• Avoiding common mistakes in digital rollouts
• Final thoughts

Why eBooks matters more in secondary schools

Reading confidence tends to drop in the teenage years

Secondary students face increasing pressure—from academic expectations to social distractions. For many, recreational reading drops off around Year 7 and doesn’t recover.

That’s a problem. Reading isn’t just for English class. It underpins learning across every subject. eBooks can help turn things around, but only if they’re implemented with the needs of teenage readers in mind.

eBook features secondary students actually use (and ignore)

What secondary students expect from their school's digital library platform

It’s easy to be impressed by feature-packed platforms. But what actually gets used? Students are pragmatic. They won’t explore every setting or use every feature—only the ones that make their reading experience smoother and more enjoyable. The rest? They’ll ignore.

Secondary students tend to value:

• Personalisation: adjustable fonts, dark mode, highlighting

• Portability: instant access from school or home, without needing a new login

• Audio support: for multitasking or comprehension

• Clean design: less clutter, more focus

What they ignore (and why it matters)

What do they ignore? Gamification, badges, and features that feel childish. If the experience feels juvenile, disengagement sets in fast. Choose a platform that treats students like digital-native young adults—not primary schoolers.

How to keep secondary students engaged with reading

The biggest challenge in high school? Motivation. Distractions are everywhere; social media, gaming, sport, part-time jobs. Reading has to compete for attention. That’s why the user experience, book selection, and reading culture matter more than ever.

Teenagers will read if:

• They can choose books they care about

• The platform removes friction, not adds it

• Reading is embedded into classroom routines, not treated as extra

That means schools need to think carefully about curation and access. Are there enough high-interest, low-reading-level texts? Are diverse authors, voices, and genres included? The best digital libraries balance student choice with curriculum needs. 

What secondary teachers need from an eBook platform

Flexibility for secondary school classrooms is key

Teachers are already managing heavy workloads. A digital reading platform should reduce admin, not add to it. It also needs to adapt to varied teaching styles; some teachers want to assign whole texts, others prefer excerpts or flexible reading paths. A rigid system quickly becomes a burden.

Here’s what secondary teachers typically need:

• Easy assignment of texts by level or subject

• Reading data that supports intervention or extension

• The ability to track usage without overwhelming dashboards

• Alignment with classroom strategies (e.g., literature circles, flipped learning, etc.)

If the platform supports flexible use cases—from English to Geography, it becomes a whole-school asset, not just a niche tool. 

The role of eBooks in whole-school literacy strategy

eBooks aren’t just a convenience. They’re a strategic asset. When integrated properly, they do more than just provide access, they actively support a school’s literacy goals across year levels and subjects. But to achieve that, they must be aligned with the wider teaching and learning approach.

Used well, they help schools:

• Close reading gaps

• Support EAL and neurodiverse learners

• Promote independent reading and research

• Meet curriculum requirements without print delays

But only if they’re part of the broader literacy approach, not just a tech project that lives in the library.

Digital reading should sit alongside explicit teaching, book clubs, print texts, and writing programs. It’s one piece of a much bigger puzzle.

Managing access, permissions, and privacy

More control for secondary schools

Secondary schools need more control and customisation than primary. As students mature, so do the complexities of managing digital environments. Schools need tools that balance freedom with accountability, and do so in a way that doesn’t slow things down.

Look for platforms that let you:

• Restrict access by year level or subject

• Monitor engagement without breaching privacy

• Support BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environments

• Integrations with school credentials (e.g., Google, Microsoft SSO)

Students won’t use a tool that’s frustrating to log in to. And schools can’t afford to take risks with data privacy. The right system solves both.

Metrics that matter: how to track the success of eBooks

Look beyond downloads and logins

Data is only useful if it helps you make decisions. Surface-level metrics like login counts or app installs don’t tell the full story of engagement or learning.

You want to know:

• Are students actually finishing books?

• Are previously disengaged readers participating?

• Can staff see patterns in reading engagement by class or cohort?

• Is it being used beyond English class?

Most good platforms include usage analytics, but what matters is how you use them. Regular reporting should inform your literacy planning, not sit in a silo.

Avoiding common mistakes in digital rollouts

Why most digital library implementations fail in secondary schools

Rolling out an eBook platform is not just a tech project—it’s a culture shift. When it’s rushed or poorly communicated, teachers and students alike lose trust in the system. Many secondary schools make the same errors with eBooks:

• Assuming students will just “figure it out”

• Focusing too much on the tech, not the teaching

• Overloading staff with a complex rollout

• Choosing a system with no support or training

Instead, build momentum. Start with a pilot, get feedback, and scale from there. Involve students in decision-making where possible—teen buy-in matters. 

Final thoughts

eBooks can be a game-changer for secondary schools. But only when they align with how teenagers read, how teachers teach, and how your school plans for literacy. The best platforms don’t just offer thousands of books—they offer better access, stronger engagement, and fewer barriers for every learner.

At ePlatform, we work with secondary schools across Australia and beyond to deliver digital reading solutions that actually get used. Whether you're replacing print copies, supporting reluctant readers, or levelling up your school-wide strategy, we’re here to help.

Request a free trial or get in touch with our team to learn how eBooks can work for your secondary school.