Journal Article: “Engaging Faculty and Reducing Costs by Leveraging Collections: A Pilot Project to Reduce Course Pack Use”

The following article appears in the Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication.

Title

Engaging Faculty and Reducing Costs by Leveraging Collections: A Pilot Project to Reduce Course Pack Use

Authors

Nelly Cancilla
University of Toronto

Bobby Glushko
University of Toronto

Stephanie Orfano
University of Toronto

Graeme Slaght
University of Toronto

Source

Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication
Issue 4 (2017)
doi:10.7710/2162-3309.2137

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Academic libraries have the privilege of serving many roles in the lives of their institutions. One role that is largely untapped is their ability to actively leverage their collections to support faculty teaching and to reduce student out-of-pocket costs by eliminating systemic double payment for course materials.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM/SERVICE

This paper details a project by the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office (SCCO) at the University of Toronto that aimed to reduce this systemic double payment by leveraging collections and electronic reserves to provide a new service, the Zero-to-Low Cost Courses. Building on existing relationships with faculty, SCCO staff reached out to potential candidates, identified library licensed materials in their printed course packs, and created digital course packs which students could use at no cost.

NEXT STEPS

This article shares the results of the project and explores next steps in using existing library resources to actively reduce student course costs.

Direct to Full Text (22 pages; PDF)

See Also: The University of Toronto Libraries Zero-to-Low Cost Course Project “Takes the Cost Burden Out of Course Packs” (September 25, 2016)