The University of Richmond is committed to access and affordability for all students. Faculty can contribute to this goal by reducing the costs of textbooks and other educational materials. The UR Libraries offer support for making library-licensed e-resource available to your students and with helping you discover, use and even develop your own open educational resources.
There are several ways to make educational resources affordable for your students:
The cost of college textbooks continues to increase and the economic burden is of great concern to students. The College Board estimates that the average student in this country spends around $1,200 a year on books and supplies. A single book can cost as much as $200. Between 2002 and 2013, the price of college textbooks rose 82% — nearly three times the rate of inflation, according to a recent study by the Government Accountability Office.
What can faculty do about the high cost of textbooks? Here are some questions and suggestions to consider:
*Acknowledgements to Donald A. Barclay for the above questions and suggestions.
Barclay, Donald A. "No Reservations: Why the Time Has Come to Kill Print Textbook Reserves." College and Research Libraries News 76, no. 6 (June 2015): 332-35.