The report presents data and commentary about the library role in textbook provision from a survey of 84 high level academic library executives drawn from 53 colleges and universities, primarily from the USA. The study gives highly detailed data on the extent of the library role in textbook provision, opinions of the likely growth or retraction of the library role, as well as the library role in open access textbooks and textbook substitutes. The study also gives precise data on the exact sums that libraries are spending on textbooks and how many enjoy special funding from college administrations or academic departments for print, digital commercial or open access textbooks.
About half of the sample are library directors and the rest are predominantly deans and university librarians and their immediate associate or assistant officers, as well as major department heads and directors. Data in the report is broken out by many criteria including work title, age, salary level, gender and academic background of the survey participant, as well as Carnegie class, tuition, enrollment size, regional location and public/private status of the survey participants’ college or university.
Just a few of the report’s many findings are that:
There were substantial differences between public colleges and universities versus private ones. Almost three times more public colleges and universities than private ones reported that the library was involved in textbook acquisition for students.
Not a single research university in the sample expected that the library role in textbook provision would be reduced in the near future.
12.5% of junior college libraries sampled were receiving special disbursements from the college administration in order to more easily afford to provide textbooks.