Affordable Course Materials: Electronic Textbooks and Open Educational Resources. Ed. Chris Diaz. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2017. 144 p. $65 softcover (ISBN: 978-0-8389-1580-6).
The nine case studies collected in Affordable Course Materials cite research that points to the same truth students across the country face with each new academic term: the price of textbooks far outpaces the rate of inflation. According to an oft-cited report released by the Government Accountability Office in 2013, the price of the average new textbook rose 82 percent in the preceding decade—three times the rate of inflation.1 These case studies assert the claim that libraries, already both a central part of the campus community and committed to equal access to information resources, are perfectly poised to mitigate the cost of core texts. By facilitating access to course materials in innovative ways, libraries can alleviate the financial burden on the students they serve. This volume showcases approaches taken by academic libraries to benefit their campus communities, the challenges the authors faced, and the lessons learned. It serves as a valuable source of information and inspiration for those wishing to implement their own initiatives.
Because the projects undertaken by the authors of these case studies were generally library-wide (or even campus-wide) efforts not limited to a single library department, this text can serve as a guide for academic librarians regardless of specialty. Librarians involved in the cited projects ranged from acquisitions librarians to instructional designers. The book’s format allows the reader to choose which case studies to read, and each has a unique perspective to offer. There is repetition among the case studies, but this only underscores both the need for action and the fact that these methods have found success in academic librarianship.
The subtitle of this collection suggests two means by which libraries might provide access to course materials: electronic textbooks and open educational resources (OERs). Although libraries have not traditionally collected textbooks for general circulation, many of the projects outlined in this volume evolved from the practice of placing print textbooks on course reserve. The introduction of these types of resources into library collections as required course materials can manifest in different ways but provide the same outcome: a cost benefit to students.
Libraries seeking to provide electronic versions of traditional textbooks assigned by faculty may face the challenge some of the authors faced: obtaining a list of the texts required by faculty. Such a list is typically compiled by and accessed via the campus bookstore; for some institutions, such as the University of Central Florida in chapter 8, this posed a bigger challenge due to the language of the bookstore provider’s contract with the university. In contrast, the University of Arizona in chapter 2 describes their relationship with UA’s campus bookstore as a “partnership” (17).
Although some libraries focused on providing access to textbooks already assigned, others questioned the definition of a textbook and sought to affect change at the source: faculty selection of required texts for their courses. As the commercial textbook market has profited from the status quo, scholars and educators have responded by amplifying awareness of OERs, and academic libraries in particular have been on the cutting edge of this trend. Many of the cases in this collection have involved partnerships with faculty to encourage adoption, or even creation, of OERs to replace traditional textbooks. While there are other books or resources able to offer a more introductory guide to OERs themselves, those seeking practical ideas for engaging with faculty will find this book helpful. Some case studies detail the setup of institutional grants for faculty who adopt OERs in lieu of commercial texts, plus tangible examples of their own documents and communications with outside stakeholders. These resources can aid readers who wish to reach out and develop those relationships within their own campus communities.
These case studies cover a wide variety of topics related to affordable course materials, although one concept that would have benefitted from further expansion is the notion that initiatives that mitigate students’ financial burden could have a profound effect on retention. As this is a topic of great interest to most university administrators, being able to assess student retention as a key aspect of projects like these provides a potential avenue for cooperation and partnership with stakeholders outside the library.
Smaller libraries or libraries with fewer resources may find the projects within these case studies to be daunting; the workflows were typically described as time-consuming, and implementation generally involved a high level of inter-departmental cooperation. However, the ideas represented are both practical and broad in their appeal. Especially of benefit are cases that offer opportunities for scalability and adaptability. There are similarities among all the initiatives presented, but one powerful theme is that libraries are positioned to lead the charge to uniting diverse campus communities around a common goal.
Hopefully this exploration of library-led initiatives facilitating access to course materials will foster a new wave of similar projects dedicated to providing cost savings to students and to expanding the creation and utilization of open access educational resources.—Julie Gaida (juliegaida@pacificu.edu), Pacific University
Reference
- “College Textbooks: Students Have Access to Textbook Information,” Government Accountability Office, June 6, 2013; accessed January 17, 2018. www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-368.
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