Textbooks in Academic Libraries: Selection, Circulation, and Assessment. Ed. Chris Diaz. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2017. 148 p. $65.00 softcover (ISBN 978-0-8389-1587-5).

Do textbooks have a place in academic libraries? Nearly all of the nine chapters in this text begins by addressing this question. Long-standing concerns about the acquisition and inclusion of print textbooks in the library’s collection, including cost, frequency of replacement, etc., are cited in many of the case studies presented here. What is interesting is that this diverse group of institutions, representing both small and large private and public universities, all reached the same conclusion: the textbook reserve program aids in student recruitment, retention, and success.

The introduction, written by Diaz, explains that questions regarding the following aspects of a textbook reserve program are both asked and answered in the text: contribution to campus recruitment and retention efforts; assisting with library outreach to students and faculty; effects on library staffing and workflows; working with the campus bookstore; budgeting for a long-term program; and analyzing textbook circulation data (viii–ix).

How well does this book address each of these areas? Impact on retention is explored in more detail than recruitment. It is still a challenge for libraries to make the case that programs such as these directly contribute to retention, but at the very least these studies demonstrate highly effective ways of considering institutional priorities and provide examples of how they have successfully connected programs such as these to student recruitment and retention.

Outreach to students and faculty is a key part of introducing textbook programs. Managing student expectations is noted in more than one study. The first chapter, “‘Basically Everything I Need, I Know the Library Has It’: A Case Study of SUNY Canton’s Textbook Program,” alludes to the fact that students very easily misconstrue the library’s textbook reserve program as one that will have their texts for all their courses. The discussion of marketing and communication as a critical piece of the implementation process is a strength of this text. None of the libraries claim that their programs supplant the need for students purchasing their own texts for their courses. The case studies illustrate that the program acts as a stop-gap for students who would otherwise be unable to purchase textbooks due to high costs and gives these students a chance at academic success.

It is clear from the studies in this book that a textbook reserve program is not one that should be introduced lightly. The impact on staffing and workflows detailed in these studies can be significant. Selection, acquisition, cataloging, processing, communication, and marketing require time and personnel. Some institutions target specific audiences while others provide general access to large-enrollment undergrad classes. The scope of the service plays a significant role in the library’s commitment. Creative solutions are described to mitigate supply and demand problems, including self-service reserve rooms and pager systems.

Most of the chapters detail their library’s experience with a textbook reserve program from its inception, including examples of how the program was funded, how the library identified the resources needed, how materials were designated in catalogs and discovery layers, how the program itself was delivered, and how success was assessed. Ease of discovery and timeliness of acquisition and cataloging of materials were identified as a critical means to success. More than one case study noted that if students checked the library catalog once for their materials and they were not there, they would not check again (84). The campus bookstore becomes an essential partner in this initiative as they are key to identifying the texts themselves. Some case studies reported success in utilizing the campus bookstore for purchasing textbook copies, while others moved away from the bookstores as a supplier due to issues pertaining to timeliness of delivery.

Of particular interest to library administrators will be the variety of ways that textbook reserve programs were funded. The most frequently mentioned collaborations were with student unions and governments. Most libraries did not develop a budget derived strictly from library funds; rather, these programs were made possible from funding supplied or supplemented by these partners. It was encouraging to read that even for the programs that started off with modest budgets, success was still achievable.

Circulation data was the most compelling factor in determining success. While the trend among these libraries was the decline in circulation for regular library materials, circulation of textbooks as part of these reserve programs was up, sometimes outperforming the whole of a library’s regular circulating collection by upwards of fifty percent. Additionally, student feedback from survey data and focus groups helped libraries to identify strengths and weaknesses of their programs and to identify why students use the program, which overwhelmingly had to do with cost savings to the student. This data provides libraries with an avenue not only to demonstrate the success of a much-needed program but also to illustrate the need for a larger conversation on textbook affordability in higher education.

The authors of these studies realize that there are limitations to this service. Although not addressed in depth, access to Open Educational Resources (OERs) is where many of these institutions are looking for solutions to the problem of the sustainability of this program, plus overall affordability to students. The advantages of a library offering a textbook reserve program are many, including increased value and increased circulation, but more importantly, it places the library in the position to introduce and provide leadership into the area of OERs. A nice companion book to this text would be another of Diaz’s books, Affordable Course Materials: Electronic Textbooks and Open Educational Resources (ALA Editions, 2017), also reviewed in this issue of LRTS.

Each of these essays is well-written and makes good on Diaz’s claim that “if you are interested in building a textbook program or have one but are interested in new insight for increasing efficiency of your workflows or impact on campus, these case studies will help you collect and manage college textbooks” (ix). Many of these studies offer a blueprint on how to manage a program start to finish, and they all offer their own insights and experience that are helpful to any library considering this program. This book is a must-read for any library interested in building or re-tooling a textbook reserve program as it offers fresh insight into strategies for maintaining the program and where the conversations should go from there.—Sue Maszaros (sue.maszaros@belmont.edu), Belmont University