Barnes & Noble announced its plans today for NOOKstudy, a new tool to help students utilize e-readers the way printed texts and classroom notes are used. (OK, we're assuming here that students use printed texts and classroom notes, I realize.) NOOKstudy will allow students to consolidate their course books and course materials into one application. Students will be able to make notes, open multiple books or multiple pages at once, and integrate web searches with their course research.

No word in the announcement if the tool will allow collaboration, and I imagine that the textbooks will be restricted to those purchased from Barnes & Noble. There's also no indication that there will be a mobile version of the app (the announcement clearly says "on your computer" and "no NOOK required".)

But it does seem like an interesting move to help secure the company's status what is predicted to be a growing market for electronic textbooks.