UCSB Names Enshittification as 2027 Reads Book Choice
Students can receive a free copy of the book in January as part of the campus-wide reading program.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Language Learning
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The University of California Santa Barbara has selected Cory Doctorow's book Enshittification as its 2027 UCSB Reads title. The program, which launches in January with free books for students, encourages the Santa Barbara campus community to engage with the text across winter and spring courses.
Why it matters
By selecting a book centered on the evolution of digital platforms, UCSB aims to foster campus-wide discourse on timely technological issues. The program provides students with an opportunity to integrate modern social critique into their academic experience through course work and supplementary library events.
The university will launch the UCSB Reads 2027 program in January with a free book giveaway for students. Instructors are encouraged to utilize the text in winter and spring courses.
The players
University of California Santa Barbara
A large public research university that manages the annual UCSB Reads program.
Cory Doctorow
The author of the 2027 UCSB Reads selection and coiner of the term enshittification.
The details
The program centers on the concept of enshittification, a term coined by author Cory Doctorow in 2022 that describes the three-stage life cycle of digital platforms. Throughout the winter and spring quarters, the UCSB library will host a series of learning and social events to support the reading program. These resources are designed to help students analyze how digital ecosystems change over time.
Timeline
January 2027: UCSB Reads 2027 program launch.
April 29, 2027: Cory Doctorow public talk at Campbell Hall.
Education Landscape
The university's choice follows the broader academic and public adoption of the term, which was also named the 2024 Word of the Year by the Macquarie Dictionary. This selection highlights the rising focus on digital platform literacy within contemporary higher education curricula.
Students should visit the university library in January 2027 to claim their free copy of the book. Those enrolled in winter and spring courses should check their syllabi to see if the text is being integrated into their specific degree requirements.
The takeaway
Understanding the lifecycle of digital platforms is a key academic skill in the modern era. Check your course reading lists for the spring quarter to see if your instructors are incorporating the UCSB Reads text into your curriculum.
Further reading
For more information on how languages and terminology evolve within academic settings, visit the Language Learning section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Santa Barbara Independent.
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