Our library does not buy textbooks anymore, and I really dislike that practice. I've never been convinced by the 'we can't afford it' argument. As the great one said "Books are for use" and "Every reader his book". I think when libraries say 'We don't buy textbooks', we violate those first two laws. In addition, think of the impact of being able to advertise: "The library has a copy of EVERY required text." I think that will get people in the door who otherwise think- the library doesn't have what I need.
----- Original Message -----
From: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:42 pm
Subject: Re: [ACQNET-L] ACQNET: Textbook Purchasing (6 replies)
To: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> Thanks for these responses. Most helpful. I do have a comment
> on the issue
> of why libraries don't/won't buy textbooks. It's not only a
> budget issue, at
> least at our university. It's a conflict of interest issue with the
> university bookstore that sells textbooks.
>
> Aline
>
> Aline Soules
> Cal State East Bay
> 510-885-4596
> Aline.soules_at_csueastbay.edu
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: acqnet-l-bounces_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:acqnet-l-bounces_at_lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
> acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 6:07 AM
> To: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: [ACQNET-L] ACQNET: Textbook Purchasing (6 replies)
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Cook, Eleanor
> Date: Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 9:03 AM
> Subject: Textbook post
> To: "eleanorilenecook_at_gmail.com"
>
>
> From: aline.soules_at_csueastbay.edu
>
> Date: Fri Oct 23 17:04:32 2009
>
> Subject: RE: [ACQNET-L] Textbook Purchasing Policy
>
>
>
> We don't buy textbooks. There is no way we could buy all the
> textbooks for all the courses, so how would we pick and choose, even
> if we had the funds to buy some textbooks?
>
>
>
> We select based on our discipline. If one of those books ends up
> being a textbook, we put it on reserve for the period in which
> it is
> being used for a class (if we are told of it before it is already
> circulated to someone).
>
>
>
> Other textbooks might show up in some of our e-book packages,
> especially in areas such as business. Students can view those from
> our catalog. If we get calls that a student can't get "in," we tell
> them to wait for a little while and try again, which usually works
> because the problem is hitting the simultaneous user limit.
>
>
>
> We also take instructors' copies of textbooks and put those on
> reserve, if an instructor brings one over, and we are happy to have
> them do that.
>
>
>
> Our latest effort is to try to help faculty find alternative sources
> to textbooks, paid course packs, etc. because of the
> skyrocketing cost
> of these materials. If we are successful at that, presumably fewer
> textbooks will be in use.
>
>
>
> So, our basic policy is that we don't buy textbooks and only
> work with
> ones that show up some other way.
>
>
>
> Aline
>
>
>
> Aline Soules
>
> Cal State East Bay
>
> 510-885-4596
>
> Aline.soules_at_csueastbay.edu
>
>
>
>
>
> From: anthony.greiner_at_pcc.edu
> Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:11:18 +0000 (GMT)
>
> Subject: Re: [ACQNET-L] Textbook Purchasing Policy
>
> Portland Community College in Oregon, until a couple of years
> ago, had
> a policy that, at instructor request, the library would purchase a
> single copy of non-consumable texts to place on reserve. We budgeted
> $3000 a year for this, and rarely spent it all, as requests were not
> common. (Perhaps because instructors didn't know we would do this.)
>
> The policy was changed a couple of years ago to "no textbooks
> shall be
> purchased." However, that isn't followed in practice for the Nursing
> Department, for which we buy a copy of all required texts. Those texts
> are heavily used.
>
> In my opinion, this policy is not a good one. Books are for use,
> and I
> don't understand why a library will refuse to buy a copy of what are
> bound to be the most popular items in the collection. But that's our
> rule.
>
> Tony Greiner
>
>
>
>
>
> From: "Corbett, Lauren E."
> Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:11:37 -0400
> Subject: RE: [ACQNET-L] Textbook Purchasing Policy
>
> Textbooks - In general the library does not acquire textbooks
> adopted as
> required texts for any given courses. However, graduate level
> textbooksconsidered valuable as reference and research works are added
> selectively.
>
> The above appears in nearly every discipline's collection development
> policy here. I'm on tenterhooks to see if e-books and open source
> textbooks drive a change in approach.
>
> --
> Lauren Corbett
> Director of Resource Services
> Z. Smith Reynolds Library
> Wake Forest University
> Winston-Salem, NC
> Ph: 336-758-6136
> Fax: 336-758-4652
>
>
>
>
>
> From: "Helen P. Mack"
> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:24:21 -0400
> Subject: Re: [ACQNET-L] Textbook Purchasing Policy
>
> Have you been charged with the task of formulating a textbook policy
> or just write up an existing, unwritten policy?
>
> Here's a paragraph which is still in draft form, so it has not yet
> been incorporated into our larger policy document. The bottom
> line is
> that we provide materials to assist in the learning process, but we
> will not undercut the bookstore by collecting textbooks and putting
> them on reserve.
>
> "Students are responsible for purchasing their own textbooks. Faculty
> members may elect to place textbooks on course reserve. The Libraries
> do not acquire such materials for courses offered at Lehigh, but they
> do purchase quality, academic-level books on topics that support
> Lehigh's curriculum. Although some of these may be required or
> suggested course readings, the Libraries do not systematically
> purchase all such books."
>
>
>
> Helen P. Mack, Acquisitions Librarian
>
> Lehigh University, Linderman Library
>
> 30 Library Drive
>
> Bethlehem, PA 18015-3067 USA
>
> Phone 610 758-3035 * Fax 610 758-5605
>
> E-mail: hpm0_at_lehigh.edu
>
>
>
>
>
> From: "Kitty Simmons"
> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:40:54 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: RE: Textbook Purchasing Policy
>
> This issue came up here last year. Although we haven't ever purchased
> textbooks en mass, we didn't have a written statement, so I put
> togetherthe following in response:
>
> Most textbooks are outside the scope of materials acquired for the
> Library. One of the primary reasons for this widely accepted academic
> library policy is that textbooks are designed as teaching aids,
> includingsurvey or introductory material that is often
> repetitive and unlikely to
> find an audience unrelated to specific course offerings. With
> new editions
>
> issued frequently, textbook collections become outdated at a rate
> unsustainable for
>
> most library budgets, including ours. The high cost of
> textbooks is
> another mitigating
> factor. Although having the Library provide textbooks for
> student use
> might seem like a student-friendly move, such a practice would
> seriouslyundermine the Library's already limited materials
> budget and would result
> in a collection lacking in the supplemental and research
> materials and
> resources providing an in-depth focus that constitute our primary
> collecting mission.
>
> As with all policies, there are exceptions, and you will
> certainly find
> some textbooks in our Library collection. Some are recognized as
> "classics" by experts in the field. "Harrison's Principles of
> InternalMedicine" is one example of such a textbook classic.
> There are also some
> subject areas, such as mathematics and some aspects of business, where
> textbook treatments are generally recognized as a useful
> approach for
> presenting concepts and methodology. Finally, adherence to the
> textbookexclusion policy has not always been strictly followed
> resulting in the
> addition, often by gift, of textbooks in a variety of areas. In such
> cases, we may add a new edition if requested and withdraw the older
> edition currently in the collection.
>
> If you would like to alleviate the financial burden of students by
> providing an alternative to their purchase of textbooks
> currently used in
> your classes, you can always put a personal copy on Reserve at the
> Circulation desk. Many publishers will provide faculty with a
> review copy on
> request that could be subsequently put on Reserve in the
> Library. An
> online reserve form for materials to be put on Reserve is
> available for
> your convenience at [our web site link]
>
> Kitty J. Simmons
>
> Library Director Telephone: 951-785-2515
>
> La Sierra University Telephone: 951-785-2402
>
> Riverside, CA 92515 Fax: 951-785-2445
>
> E-Mail:ksimmons_at_lasierra.edu
>
> http://www.lasierra.edu/library/ Meet me at the Library!
>
>
>
>
>
> From: "Wade Wyckoff"
> Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:25:38 -0400
> Subject: RE: [ACQNET-L] Textbook Purchasing Policy
>
> McMaster made the decision to stop adding textbooks to the
> collection a
> couple of years ago. The policy is available on our website:
> http://library.mcmaster.ca/collections-
> services/policies/policies-format#Tex
> tbooks.
>
> Wade
>
> ---------------------------------------
> Wade Wyckoff
>
> Collection Services Librarian
> McMaster University Library
> 1280 Main Street W.
> Hamilton, ON L8S 4L6
> p: 905-525-9140 x26557
> f: 905-522-1277
>
>
>
> Original message:
>
> Sent: October-13-09 10:10 AM
>
>
>
> Good morning everyone,
>
> My boss would like me to write up a "textbook purchasing policy"
> for our
> library. I was wondering if anyone would share, if a policy is in
> place, a copy of their policy with me?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help!
>
> John
> -
> ***********************************
> John E. Popadak II, M.L.I.S.
> Acquisitions Librarian
> E-mail: jepopadak_at_ysu.edu
> Phone: 330-941-3679
> Fax: 330-941-3734
> WWW: http://www.maag.ysu.edu/
> ***********************************
> W. F. Maag, Jr. Library
> Youngstown State University
> One University Plaza
> Youngstown, OH 44555
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Tony Greiner/Reference and Instruction Librarian
Portland Community College, Cascade Campus
503-978-5333 "It is better to be wrong than to be vague" -Freeman Dyson
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Received on Fri Nov 20 2009 - 15:43:01 EST