2019 Charleston Library Conference

Attend this session to learn how one library successfully leveraged its e-book collections to support textbook affordability efforts at the university. Presenters will discuss the initiative from three perspectives; an associate director, textbook affordability librarian, and an acquisitions librarian. The Associate Director will outline the history of the program and how metrics are being used to demonstrate library value from an administrative viewpoint. Included will be the genesis of the program, methodology used, and how data collected from the initiative were used to gain a new position at the university, a Textbook Affordability Librarian. The Textbook Affordability Librarian will show the various avenues developed for faculty outreach and collaboration with Subject Librarians to identify materials, as well as partnerships developed outside the library. The Acquisitions and Collection Assessment Librarian will share the final part of the model, by discussing considerations for purchasing materials for use as a course text, including DRM and budget considerations. A model and workflow describing the initiative and key contributors will be offered.

This session would be relevant to attendees as a case study in launching and sustaining a program to promote the use of e-books as textbooks through the library. The session will be structured to invite questions throughout the presentation and offer tips for libraries wishing to implement or improve current practices.