[Thanks to Tom for summarizing the input he received. ja]
From: Tom Izbicki <izbicki_at_jhu.edu>
CD Policies on Textbooks - a Summary of the Messages + Further Thoughts of
My Own - Please comment further.
Tom Izbicki
Reasons to Collect:
Support classes - assigned textbooks, especially in areas with a small set
of monographic resources
Provide alternative viewpoints to assigned textbooks - but not the assigned
textbooks
Provide introductions to particular fields of study (especially in the
sciences)
Represent current state of thinking in a field
Save students having to pay exorbitant prices in certain fields of study
Reasons not to Collect:
Competition between students for limited numbers of copies of assigned
textbooks
Theft of assigned textbooks
Inability of Reserves collections to contain all assigned textbooks
Budget, especially when multiple copies would have to be purchased
Faculty preferences for library purchase of monographs or journals
supporting their work
Frequent revisions, involving both costs & staff time for updating and weeding
May represent obsolete pedagogy
Alternatives:
E-books - if models permit shared access by several students at once
Digitization of chapters for electronic Reserves, if publishers will grant
the rights and do not want excessively-high fees
Thomas M. Izbicki
Collection Development Coordinator
Eisenhower Library
Johns Hopkins University
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Telephone: 410-516-7173
Fax: 410-516-8399
Received on Mon Mar 10 2003 - 12:43:26 EST