The Future of Textbooks and Course Reserves in Academic Libraries: An Evolving Role and Emerging Opportunity

With the rising costs of textbooks, their affordability and accessibility in college and university campuses has emerged as a major financial obstacle for students. This challenge presents an opportunity for academic and research libraries in providing textbook affordability and accessibility for their students. Textbooks have been frequently excluded from the majority of academic and research libraries’ collection development policies. Textbooks are often on the list of materials rarely purchased by libraries. Encouraging libraries to re‐evaluate and re‐strategize their traditional approach to textbook purchasing and course reserves is critical. Embracing more textbooks and expanding the course reserves has the potential to significantly improve user services in learning and teaching across campuses. Ultimately this evolving role for academic libraries provides another opportunity to demonstrate their value to campus administration and communities.