Sent: 2020-09-22
From: EIU
To: Various Recipients
Subject: Volunteers needed for Textbook Rental Pilot in Spring 2021
Dear Faculty,
Last spring, the Textbook Rental Task Force submitted a report with recommendations for adjustments to the textbook rental system. Those recommendations
included 1) encouraging faculty to use Open Educational Resources (OER) for course readings and 2) implementing a pilot program of using digital textbooks (eBooks) in a small number of online courses. We have received permission to begin a pilot study of these two recommendations and are seeking faculty volunteers to participate in one of the following two groups.
Open Educational Resources (OER) Pilot Group
Open to any faculty member who would be willing to use open educational resources (free online instructional materials including textbooks and other resources) in place of a printed textbook for one semester. Links to OER resources at EIU can be found at the end of this email, and through other sources located with the help of Booth library staff. Faculty who are already using OER should also join this group.
eBook Pilot Group
Limited to no more than 5 faculty who are willing to use a digital version of a textbook (eBook) for one semester.
Faculty can participate only if one or more of their courses are eligible for a new textbook (i.e., faculty who have used their printed textbook for the longer of two years or three semesters. Summer term does not count as a semester of use unless that is the only time that the course is offered.) This stipulation ensures that EIU has likely recovered the cost of the original textbook over its rental use period.
The cost of a digital textbook must not exceed $35 for one semester of use. You can search vitalsource.com or redshelf.com to find prices of digital textbooks. Textbook rental will arrange the purchase of the digital textbooks for students.
It is expected that all participating faculty will share feedback regarding their experience through a brief survey at the conclusion of the spring semester. Your students may also be invited to provide anonymous feedback about their experience. All students in participating classes will continue to be billed the textbook rental fee ($9.75/credit hour).
At the conclusion of the pilot, faculty may choose one of the following options depending on your group membership:
OER Group
Continue to use open educational resources; or
Revert to using your previous printed textbook offered through
