Libraries Leading the Way on the Textbook Problem

Escalating textbook costs and continually evolving technologies for delivering course content have combined to place the “textbook problem” at a boiling point ripe for systemic change. This article describes two efforts to address the “textbook problem” by offering incentive grants to faculty members who adopt, adapt, or create open educational resources (OERs) to replace costly textbooks. It describes programs at UMass Amherst and North Carolina State University and discusses the role of the library as a campus leader, educating faculty on new textbook models and investigating and providing incentives to incubate change.