Overview

Throughout the State of Ohio, numerous institutions have been working collaboratively to identify and create open/affordable resources that can help lower the cost of materials for students. Numerous research studies have identified that access to materials on the first day of class is crucial to overall student success and retention. Unfortunately, many students choose not to purchase required materials due to cost because financial aid cannot be used to pay for textbooks. As a result, these students begin their course at a disadvantage. 

Through the University Libraries’ collaboration with OhioLINK and the Open Textbook Network (OTN), faculty are encouraged to review open textbooks and determine for themselves if the resource meets their course objectives. Numerous departments are now in the preliminary stages of either authoring, curating, or adopting open/affordable texts and resources.

In an effort to focus resources, numerous affordable learning campus initiatives were consolidated into the Affordable Learning Initiative to promote collaboration and information sharing regarding development grants and resources. Through our partnerships with faculty, to date, we have impacted over 3300 students for a total estimated savings of over $450,000 in textbook cost.