Has anyone else encountered a recent trend of textbook publishers-- Pearson, McGraw, etc.-- no longer selling print copies of textbooks to libraries or educators? This issue has come up a lot recently in liaising with faculty and our Course Reserves department. For a few years now, we've known that publishers like Pearson, for example, won't license multiuser ebooks for libraries. But this is the first year I've encountered the problem of not even being able to buy a hard copy of the latest edition of a textbook. Certain new titles are not available for direct sale from the publisher, nor EBSCO- GOBI (our distributor), not even Amazon and other booksellers. This is making course reserves very difficult and also has implications for accessibility. Textbook affordability is a big concern on my campus; SUNY as a whole has been encouraging a move to OERs, to multiuser ebooks, etc. Physical course reserves are still a big part of making textbooks affordable for our students. I'm wondering if other ANSS members have encountered this and if so, how have you coped?
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Darcy Gervasio
Coordinator of Reference Services
SUNY Purchase College Library
She/Her/Hers
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