Overall Rating Bronze
Overall Score 31.92
Liaison Tom Kovacs
Submission Date Sept. 30, 2022

STARS v2.2

Eastern Michigan University
IN-41: Textbook Affordability

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.25 / 0.50 Thomas Kovacs
Professor
Geography and Geology
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution host a peer-to-peer textbook exchange program, textbook lending library, or alternate textbook project?:
Yes

A brief description of the textbook exchange program, textbook lending library, or alternate textbook project:

The EMU Library and the EMU Center for E-Learning were awarded a $25,000 grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Studies to fund an expansion of the Textbook Affordability Initiative. The director of Instructional Technology and Information Management has added a step to the course shell request process to alert EMU instructors to library services that may help provide students with free or less expensive course readings.

Course instructors can:

use the Textbook Alternatives guide to search for open access textbooks or other alternatives that are more affordable, request library ebook versions of course books that students can read for free with an EMU NetID, consult with a subject specialist librarian on finding options for course readings, arrange for department presentations or workshops for instructors on how to find and use open resources and alternatives.

Center for E-Learning staff will meet with library faculty to consider other ways to collaborate on and promote the Textbook Affordability Initiative. The grant funds are being used to fund the expected increase in demand for library ebook versions of course books. Library ebooks purchased with previous grants and foundation funds to support courses are heavily used by EMU students.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through a grant administered by the Library of Michigan. Some course ebooks are also funded by the EMU Library Textbook Affordability Initiative fund through the EMU Foundation.

EMU's Halle library also hosts a course textbook reserve program. If faculty wish to place a personal copy of the course textbook, Halle library hosts a course textbook reserve desk for students to check out the textbook for use in the library or outside the library depending on what the faculty member allows.


Does the institution provide incentives for academic staff that explicitly encourage the authorship, peer review, and/or adoption of open access textbooks?:
No

A brief description of the incentives to encourage the authorship, peer review, and/or adoption of open access textbooks:
---

Website URL where information about the textbook affordability incentives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Questions on the project can be directed to Kate Pittsley-Sousa at kate.pittsley@emich.edu

Course textbook reserves can be found at https://www.emich.edu/library/services/reserves.php


Questions on the project can be directed to Kate Pittsley-Sousa at kate.pittsley@emich.edu

Course textbook reserves can be found at https://www.emich.edu/library/services/reserves.php

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