Academic librarians have historically steered clear of using collections budgets to purchase textbooks. Within the last decade that has changed. Academic librarians now willingly leverage their collections to provide no-cost solutions for required materials. These programs take on various shapes and are sometimes managed alongside OER programs and strategically employed to deliver texts when no OER options are available or used by librarians in environments where OER has no foothold. Regardless of the specifics, these programs can be seen as conflicting with the goals of OER; instead of challenging the status quo of commercial textbooks, they allow for it to continue in a new form. In this presentation, we will share survey and interview data from a recent national study on library-led affordability programs and discuss the interplay between library-led initiatives and OER efforts, advocating for a partnered, holistic approach to equity and affordability.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Attendees will understand the evolving role of academic libraries in providing affordable solutions for required course materials.
- Participants will understand and assess the effectiveness of library collection based affordability programs.
- Participants will be able to identify conflicts and harmonies between library collection based affordability programs and OER initiatives.
- Attendees can evaluate strategies for starting or integrating library led affordability programs with OER initiatives to create a more wholistic and systemic approach to equitable access and affordability.
- Attendees will come away with actionable insights into collaborative approaches to equity and affordability.
