First reported by the Loop, Apple has sent out invitations for a special media to be held in New York City next Thursday, Jan. 19. THe invitation’s graphic has the New York skyline as well as an Apple silhouette and the tagline:

Join us for an education announcement in the Big Apple.

The invite has arrived after a bunch of speculation that the nature of the event would not be anything major, which was first hinted at by AllThingsD. The publication reported that the Apple presser will not be big news and will not be concerned with a huge theatrical announcement, such as an iPad or Apple TV.

From 9to5Mac

It will focus on iBooks, another report said. With education the focus, this leaves iBooks and perhaps textbooks, another market Jobs wanted to disrupt, as the main attraction. The presser is said to involve Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue, whose recently expanded responsibilities now include the App Store, iTunes Store, iAd, iCloud and iBooks.

According to an excerpt from the authorized Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, Jobs wanted to disrupt the school textbook business:

He held meetings with major publishers about partnering with Apple, the book says. If textbooks were given away free on iPads he thought the publishers could get around the state certification of textbooks. Mr. Isaacson said Mr. Jobs believed that states would struggle with a weak economy for at least a decade. “We can give them an opportunity to circumvent that whole process and save money,” he told Mr. Isaacson.

Are you excited for the event?