lsu’s e-textbooks project: strategy ...fall 2014 spring 2015 summer 2015 fall 2015 textbooks: 66...

LSU’S E-TEXTBOOKS PROJECT: STRATEGY,

IMPLEMENTATION, AND MOVING FORWARDEMILY FRANK, MIKE WAUGH, DAVID COMEAUX

Communicate Cooperate Collaborate October 7-8, 2015


EVOLVING TEXTBOOK STRATEGY

No textbooks policy

Collection development

ILL

Course reserves

Faculty-driven

Digital initiatives

Remove barriers to essential academic material

Library-driven


THE 3 CRITERIA

DRM free

Unlimited users

Perpetual access


THE 3 CRITERIA

DRM free

Frustration free packaging

Unlimited users

Can be used in a class

Perpetual access

Can be re-used


PUBLISHERS

The Big 5

Elsevier

JSTOR

Project MUSE

Springer

Wiley

Also

Cambridge University Press

CRC Press

Routledge (Taylor & Francis)

UPSO


PUBLISHERS

Title list


BOOKSTORE LIST

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law 110-315)

Section 133. Textbook Information

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-110publ315/pdf/PLAW-110publ315.pdf

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-110publ315/pdf/PLAW-110publ315.pdf


BOOKSTORE LIST

PURPOSE AND INTENT.—The purpose of this section is to ensure that students have access to affordable

course materials by decreasing costs to students and enhancing transparency and disclosure with respect

to the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials. It is the intent of this section to

encourage all of the involved parties, including faculty, students, administrators, institutions of

higher education, bookstores, distributors, and publishers, to work together to

identify ways to decrease the cost of college textbooks and supplemental materials

for students while supporting the academic freedom of faculty members to select high quality course

materials for students.

Section 133. Textbook Information


BOOKSTORE LIST


MATCHING

Reg Ex

Publisher

List

ISBNs

only

Bookstore

List

ISBNs

only

Publisher

List

.xls

Bookstore

List

.pdf

Reg Ex


MATCHING

Find multiple ISBNs using the OCLC xISBN webservice

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/xisbnadmin/index.htm

Allows users to query “FRBRized” WorldCat information to find all manifestations of a work

getEditions returns a list of relevant ISBNs

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/xisbnadmin/index.htm


MATCHING

Reg Ex

Publisher

List

ISBNs

only

Bookstore

List

ISBNs

only

Publisher

List

.xls

Bookstore

List

.pdf Bookstore List

ISBNs only

expanded

xISBN

Reg Ex


MATCHING

Publisher

List

ISBNs

only

Bookstore

List

ISBNs only

expanded

Python

Matches

ISBNs

only


MATCHING

Publisher

List

ISBNs

only

Bookstore

List

ISBNs only

expanded

Python

Matches

ISBNs

only

Publisher

List

ISBNs

onlyxISBN


LIB.LSU.EDU/EBOOKS


DEVELOPMENT

First live version – static html with EBSCO based search

Current version – Database-driven with Drupal

E-Books for Students

E-Books for Instructors


VERSION 1 – EBSCO E-BOOK SEARCH

Our first effort included a custom EBSCO search configuration. This search retrieved only e-books that

met the three criteria. This was done by creating a profile that searched only a local collection of e-

books that met the target criteria.

However, this was not very helpful on its own, since most items were not used for classes. We have

since created a specialized e-books for instructors page that includes a Request feature as well as

searching options.

This version combined the e-book search with a list of assigned e-books with basic information about

each book.

https://web.archive.org/web/20141204052348/http:/www.lib.lsu.edu/ebooks/


STATIC HTML PAGE

We added an element of dynamism by using JavaScript. Patrons could select a course based on course

number. The books for that course would then be displayed alone.

Unfortunately, we were limited to only providing one search option.

Also, each item had to be added manually with HTML code. We even had to place each block of code in

correct order manually.

We used this approach from fall 2014 through spring 2015.


CURRENT DISPLAY – E-BOOKS FOR STUDENTS

In fall 2015, we launched a new website built with the content management system Drupal. Drupal

allows us to create a much more dynamic and usable platform for searching for assigned e-books.

Instead of manually creating each item as html code, the information is added to a csv spreadsheet. The

spreadsheet is imported into Drupal, and automagically generates a searchable display page.

This system enables me to easily add searchable filters. Any data from the e-book record can be

searched. We’ve chosen to allow to search by Instructor, Course Number, Course Title and Book Title.

http://lib.lsu.edu/ebooks


E-BOOKS FOR INSTRUCTORS

We also created a page that enables instructors to select from a (long) list of titles which can be

purchased by the Libraries. This list includes all items that share the minimum qualifications of unlimited

access, etc.

We employed a similar approach as with the student page. The information about each item is

organized into a spreadsheet. That spreadsheet is then uploaded into Drupal and displayed on the e-

books instructor page.

In addition to a search, instructors can send a request for us to purchase a book for them. The book

information auto populates into a form, which is sent to us for further processing.

We’re considering the addition of a “shopping cart” feature in the near future.

http://lib.lsu.edu/ebooks/instructors


PROMOTION

Contact affected faculty

Permalink

Link to page (www.lib.lsu.edu/ebooks)

Student-directed contact

Facebook groups

Rosters

Paper slips


PROMOTION


FALL 2014-FALL 2015

Fall, spring, summer, fall

$938,605.47

Gross—does not subtract our costs

Assumes full enrollment

Undergraduate costs for an academic year: $38,365,500

25,577 undergraduates

$1,500 annually on books and supplies


FALL 2014-FALL 2015

Fall 2014 Spring 2015 Summer 2015 Fall 2015

Textbooks: 66 104 4 130

Classes: 60 113 4 164

Students at

full

enrollment:

2,270 2,379 150 4,888

Savings: $161,863.42 $288,411.60 $12,067.00 $476,263.15


LSU LIBRARIES’ COST

Packages:

Majority of the titles

Wiley: $17/title

Project Muse: $9.70/title

Springer

Print: purchased 1/3 of output for same cost

More circ than entire print

2014-2015

Title-by-title

Spring semester:28 titles for $7,000


LSU LIBRARIES’ COST

MATH 2065 and MATH 2070: Ordinary Differential Equations

$79.95 new

Used by 8 sections and 323 students

Cost for entire class to purchase = $25,823.85

Access through Springer

ME 3752: Materials Selection in Mechanical Design

$89.95 new

Cost for entire class to purchase = $15,291.50

Access through Knovel

AGRO 7165/OCS 7165: Biogeochemistry of Wetland Soils and Sediments

$179.95 new

Cost for entire class to purchase = $5,039

$283 for LSU Libraries


STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Presented initiative as promotion

Build e-textbooks platform

Instructor searching and selecting

What we have and what we can acquire quickly

$10,000 funding


WHY LSU LIBRARIES?

Is this the library’s role?

Alignment with strategic priorities

Retention, cost

Competitive funding environment

Meaningful use of collections

E-textbooks help us promote e-book packages

Role of academic library:

Access and discoverability

Publishing and licensing

Subjects specialists

Curriculum integration


CHALLENGES

Editions

On 3-4 year cycle for new editions

Traditional textbook publishers offer a variety of e-supplements

Still saying no a lot

McGraw Hill, Prentice Hall

Influence faculty textbook selections

Faculty like current system just fine

Student awareness


MOVING FORWARD

OERs

Bookstore collaboration

Textbook lists from multiple campuses, finding crossover, exploring multi-institutional agreements

“Whole state is interested in buying X”

Pool resources, negotiate

LSU faculty textbook authors

Pitch alternative to publishing

lsu’s e-textbooks project: strategy ...fall 2014 spring 2015 summer 2015 fall 2015 textbooks: 66...

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