#Textbookbroke: from Student Cost Surprises to Student Success

• College students everywhere are #textbookbroke

• F&M library employees are advocates for:

  • Open Access/OA scholarly publishing

  • Student access to low/no cost Open Educational Resources/OER 

• 2020 and 2023 Library Course Materials Affordability Survey data inspired deeper investigation overall, but in particular because of two concerning sets of numbers:

  • Increasing number of students are going without required course materials in order to save money – what could this mean for their academic success?

  • First-year students spend the most on required course materials – what could this mean for retention?

• The College Library’s 2023 Course Materials Affordability Survey data helped inform campus consideration, and ultimate rejection, of a new plan proposed by F&M’s external bookstore partner – the plan featured:

  • Textbook costs being automatically charged to tuition bills:

    • A flat fee for ALL STUDENTS – which survey data proved was higher than what most students could expect to pay for required materials

    • Requiring students/parents/families to “opt out” – not an equitable practice!

  • Language indicating the plan as “inclusive” and “equitable

    Affordable Learning Pa/ALPa Survey Course Materials Survey 2023

Ryan Nadeau
Research and Student Success Librarian
rnadeau@fandm.edu
717-358-3896

For a complete review of our affordability studies of both F&M students and faculty, please see:

Barnes, C.A., Vine, S., & Nadeau, R. (2024) Assessing textbook affordability before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of student and faculty surveys. The Journal of Academic Librarianship 50(2).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2024.102864