Trinity Washington University Alternatives to Textbooks E-books and Custom Publishing Jacob Berg, Sister Helen Sheehan Library January, 2010
Jan 19, 2016
Trinity Washington University
Alternatives to TextbooksE-books and Custom Publishing
Jacob Berg, Sister Helen Sheehan LibraryJanuary, 2010
Textbooks are expensive
Why?• Revision Cycle
– 3 to 4 years, on average
• Enhanced Offerings– CD-ROMs, web-based features
• Moral Hazard
Increase in Textbook Price By Year, 1986-2004
National Association of College Stores, 2008
What does this mean for you?
• Students don’t buy textbooksU
se the library, or
they don’t read the book
Assignments suffer
* Numbers not yet final
Sept 361
Oct 291
Nov 154
Dec 34
Total Reserve
Book Requests, Fall 2010* 840
Solution 1: e-books
Pros
• Cheap• Portable• Embedded/linked
in Moodle
Cons
• Students don’t like them
• May be dependent on an Internet connection
• In some cases, students cannot access the book after the course is over
Solution 1.1: Open-access
• Google is your friend• University consortiums are your
friend, too
1.1: What’s an open textbook?
Generally, open textbooks allow users:• to use the textbook without
compensating the author• to copy the textbook, with appropriate
credit to the author• to distribute the textbook non-
commerciallyHowever, there may be restrictions on
modifying or printingSource: Open Access Textbooks,
www.openaccesstextbooks.org/projectInfo.html
Open vs. Traditional Textbooks
Open Textbooks Traditional TextbooksDynamic and customizable Static and non-customizable
Targeted in-depth material Generic material
Timely Dated
Can be personalized for local conditions
Standardized content
Can addresses multiple learning styles
Assumes a uniform learning style
Free Often costly
(Source: Rice University, Connexions, http://cnx.org/content/m15226/latest/ )
Open Textbooks in Practice
• Test Case: Statistics– Introductory Statistics vs. Collaborative
Statistics – Bookstore vs. Open Access e-book– Costly vs. Free
Solution 2: Custom Publishing
• Through the bookstore (eFollet)– http://www.ladcustompub.com/– http://www.xanedu.com/
• Through a publisher (e.g., Pearson)• Flat World Knowledge
– Free e-book or low-cost print on demand (POD)
Solution 2: Custom Publishing
Pros
Less expensiveCustomizable
Cons
No re-sale valueNot as sturdy
Solution 3
• Textbook Rentals – Cheaper than buying– Cheaper than an e-book– (http://cafescribe.com/)
But supply is often limited
Wrapping Up
• Consider either e-books or a custom published book in place of textbooks– Especially true of Trinity Online courses
• Non-traditional textbook options are not a panacea– They may not be right for you
Contact: Jacob Berg, [email protected], x9357Eddie Lewis, Trinity Bookstore Manager,
[email protected], x9157