Supporting Student Success

Textbook Access Initiatives at the Hannon Library

Abstract

It is no secret that the costs of getting a college education are steadily increasing. At the Southern Oregon University (SOU) Hannon Library, we are seeing the way our students struggle increasingly to afford tuition in addition to rent, food, and other necessities, and the high cost of textbooks and other course materials is only exacerbating this problem for certain student demographics. Although a large portion of our students come from the immediate region, we have students attending from throughout Oregon, and many more that come from California and other western states. We serve many first-generation students as well as nontraditional students. It is common for our students to work multiple jobs to be able to afford their education, and many report that they are unable to meet college expenses with their expected resources. Understanding the ways that textbook affordability has become a real barrier to success for so many SOU students, we wanted to do our part to reduce the cost of course materials for students by focusing on providing access to currently required texts in print or digital forms and by promoting the use of open educational resources across campus.