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Date: | Sun, 20 May 2018 10:49:04 -0400 |
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From: Dominic Broadhurst <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2018 07:12:21 +0000
Jim
Thanks for this. I really find resonance in your last point about
libraries engaging in this space. This is something a number of libraries
have been doing successfully in the United Kingdom (including ourselves)
for a number of years and is something I believe can add real value to all
parties including our students, our faculty, our institutions and of course
our libraries. My recent journal article
<https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-direct-library-supply-of-individual-textbooks-to-students--examining-the-value-proposition(3372d989-40e6-4f1d-840a-511977822b16).html>
on this very topic highlights all of this (OA version available too, of
course!).
Plus happy to discuss off-line with any North American colleagues too
Bests
Dominic
Dominic Broadhurst|Academic Engagement Manager|University of Manchester
Library|University of Manchester|email: [log in to unmask]
|tel: 0161 275 6499
[image: View-my-LinkedIn-profile-from-The-Linked-In-Man]
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-broadhurst-0107567/>
*ORCID <http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8275-7688> ID*
*Read my recent journal article *
The direct library supply of individual textbooks to students: examining
the value proposition
https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-07-2017-0072
*From:* LibLicense-L Discussion Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
*On Behalf Of *LIBLICENSE
*Sent:* 18 May 2018 04:14
*To:* [log in to unmask]
*Subject:* New models for textbook licensing -- controversy
From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2018 20:06:44 -0700
The price of textbooks and the consequent burden on students is a hot topic
in higher education, leading both to initiatives to expand the usage of
Open Educational Resources (OERs – roughly open-access textbooks) and to
experiments in different pricing models by which publishers offer
e-textbooks. One commonly discussed model is a ‘subscription’ or ‘site
license’ to attain ‘inclusive access’ by charging a single price to an
institution for access to all the students in a given course. This usually
leads to lower cost-per-student and (and this is what academics like) much
broader access to textbooks by students where now many choose not to buy
textbooks they find too expensive.
So now a publisher is facing blowback from textbook authors:
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/05/16/
textbook-authors-sue-cengage-over-subscription-model#.Wvx3HR7yzeA.twitter
Without knowing anywhere near enough facts of the case, I think it’s
permitted to wonder whether a lower price guaranteed for a larger number of
students might not in some cases bring equal revenue to publishers and
authors over a current situation where non-purchase, reliance on
second-hand texts, and the like already brings less than the notional
maximum revenue that would come from 100% of students paying retail price.
My view is that libraries will be increasingly pressed to engage in this
space, whatever models emerge as preferable.
Jim O’Donnell
Arizona State University
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