Abstract

Many academic libraries have historically limited textbook purchases. Given recent calls to support expanded online education programs and textbook affordability initiatives, however, many academic libraries have changed course to invest considerable amounts of money to license electronic books (e-books) that are assigned in courses. This study explores the value of these materials by leveraging commonly used evaluative methods, such as benefit-cost ratio and usage statistics, as well as novel criteria, including a quality analysis using Resources for College Libraries (RCL) and an analysis of the persistence of assigned titles across semesters. The findings suggest that assigned e-books are a wise investment of library funds within the authors’ institutional context. By investigating value from diverse perspectives, the authors assert the importance of approaching such a complex question with multimodal and inclusive methods.

摘要

许多学术图书馆的教科书购买量历来有限。然而，鉴于最近呼吁支持扩大在线教育计划和教科书可负担性举措，许多学术图书馆已经改变方向，投入大量资金来许可课程中分配的电子书（电子书）。本研究通过利用常用的评估方法（例如效益成本比和使用统计数据）以及新颖的标准（包括使用大学图书馆资源 (RCL) 的质量分析和持续性分析）来探索这些材料的价值。跨学期分配的标题。研究结果表明，指定的电子书是作者机构背景下图书馆资金的明智投资。通过从不同的角度调查价值，