| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 77.34 |
| Liaison | Sally DeLeon |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2022 |
University of Maryland, College Park
IN-41: Textbook Affordability
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Emily
Hightower Sustainability Coordinator Environmental Safety, Sustainability, and Risk |
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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:
In 2009, the State of Maryland passed the College Textbook Competition and Affordability Act to establish practices in higher education institutions in the State in which textbook selection reflects consideration of textbook prices and ways to reduce costs to students, that posts textbook decisions in a timely manner to help students in obtaining assigned books at the least cost, and promotes competition. The UMD Board of Regents passed the corresponding UMD Policy on Textbook Affordability Measures: https://policies.umd.edu/policy/967d2bee-b1a4-4acf-89e7-dbda52b73a0b/
The University of Maryland Libraries is a member of the Open Textbook Network, an alliance of higher education institutions working to improve access, affordability and academic success using open textbooks. Hundreds of open textbooks are available through the network’s online library that can be downloaded for no cost or printed at low cost. As a member of the OTN, the UMD Libraries offers workshops where faculty can receive an incentive for writing a review of an existing open textbook in their field.
The UMD Libraries also partnered with the Student Government Association to stock textbooks used in UMD’s top enrolled courses. Students can borrow these textbooks from the McKeldin Library Services Desk for four hours at a time, on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is called “Top Textbooks” and more information is found at: https://www.lib.umd.edu/access/top-textbooks
Beyond the OTN and “Top Textbooks” program, UMD Libraries also offers the UBorrow and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) program for students to obtain books, articles, and other materials not held in the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) libraries.
The University of Maryland Libraries is a member of the Open Textbook Network, an alliance of higher education institutions working to improve access, affordability and academic success using open textbooks. Hundreds of open textbooks are available through the network’s online library that can be downloaded for no cost or printed at low cost. As a member of the OTN, the UMD Libraries offers workshops where faculty can receive an incentive for writing a review of an existing open textbook in their field.
The UMD Libraries also partnered with the Student Government Association to stock textbooks used in UMD’s top enrolled courses. Students can borrow these textbooks from the McKeldin Library Services Desk for four hours at a time, on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is called “Top Textbooks” and more information is found at: https://www.lib.umd.edu/access/top-textbooks
Beyond the OTN and “Top Textbooks” program, UMD Libraries also offers the UBorrow and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) program for students to obtain books, articles, and other materials not held in the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) libraries.
Does the institution provide incentives for academic staff that explicitly encourage the authorship, peer review, and/or adoption of open access textbooks?:
Yes
A brief description of the incentives to encourage the authorship, peer review, and/or adoption of open access textbooks:
Faculty members are required to acknowledge understanding and consideration of the Textbook Affordability Act law before selecting college textbooks. In 2013, the Maryland Open Source Textbook (MOST) Initiative began as a collaboration between the University of Maryland Student Council and the University of Maryland’s William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation (CAI) to address the root of textbook affordability problems and explore affordable options. The MOST program provides mini-grants to faculty to redesign and incorporate open educational resources into their courses. To learn more visit: https://www.usmd.edu/cai/maryland-open-source-textbook-most-initiative.
Additionally, as a member of the OTN, the UMD Libraries offers workshops where faculty can receive an incentive for writing a review of an existing open textbook in their field. More information from the Open Educational Resources at UMD Libraries: https://oer.umd.edu/howto
Additionally, as a member of the OTN, the UMD Libraries offers workshops where faculty can receive an incentive for writing a review of an existing open textbook in their field. More information from the Open Educational Resources at UMD Libraries: https://oer.umd.edu/howto
If yes to either of the above, provide:
Optional Fields
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
UMD Librarians created the following FAQ to support textbook affordability: https://umd.libanswers.com/faq/66414.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.