To IGETC or not to IGETC?

want to keep them out for longer.

This would make it easier on students who face the burden of having to rush to the library after their class is over to return the book before the time limit is up. That would also mean that students can actually take them further than outside the library.

According to Inside Higher Ed, the money students are spending is decreasing, not because the prices of textbooks are but because they’re either choosing not to buy them or they’re using different options.

“This year, 32 percent of students reported using free course materials, compared with 25 percent last year and 19 percent in 2016, according to the NACS data. Just under 60 percent said their professors had provided them with the free materials. About 17 percent of students admitted to perhaps illegally downloading course materials from torrent or peer-to-peer sharing sites, quite possibly in breach of copyright restrictions, though students were not asked to specify.”

Since not all publishers have online versions of their texts available, instructors should think about finding ones that do have that option. Otherwise, they should get on board with using Open Educational Resources (OER). Many teachers have already implemented these into their courses and so should others. If the library does start offering online copies, another $10 can be added to the other fees that students have to pay every semester, such as the ASO or health services one, so that they can access them.