Academic Success Center Offers Textbook Library

The Academic Success Center (ASC) looks to help students even further by offering a library of textbooks, comprised of various course materials, located in the Rahall Sides atrium.

This idea arose as the ASC began looking for other ways students could access expensive textbooks. The process began during the spring 2018 semester. While staff members coordinated the project, students, faculty, and staff at Concord University all donated textbooks. Emails were sent out asking textbook donations. Since the project was based around donations, there were no extra funds required from the university.

During the first week of September, Lauren Phillips, student affairs graduate assistant, asked students to fill out a short survey on the process that goes into buying and receiving textbooks. The survey included questions to gauge individual student perspectives on textbooks in general. Some of the questions listed included: What alternative sources have been used to purchase textbooks? Have books previously been purchased from the on-campus bookstore? Concluding the survey, there was a section where students could leave their own comments and suggestions if desired.

Surveys are being conducted to find the percentage of students at Concord who have not purchased a textbook, due to the increasingly high prices. In the next couple of weeks, the ASC expects to have an email sent to the faculty as well.

It is a goal for the ASC to obtain a wide range of textbooks, including several that are frequently used on this campus. This would also provide a resource for students who cannot afford to buy textbooks for classes.

So far, the selection of textbooks includes subjects in math, business, communication, psychology, English, education, biology, and chemistry. Math-specific textbooks include statistics, college algebra, calculus and pre-algebra. Science books include geology, geography, chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.

Several books are still readily available for courses at Concord. There are volumes from “The Norton Anthology of World Literature” and “The Norton Anthology of American Literature,” all which are published by W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. These books are used for several literature classes at Concord. There is a sociology textbook, which is used for Sociology 101, and a behavior psychology textbook for the Basic Learning course. Others books involve business, speech, physical education, teaching, management, and writing.

According to Sarah Beasley, vice president of student affairs and dean of students, many students struggle with college costs even after applying their financial aid. The financial aid ranges from state grants to Concord University scholarships.

The bookstore on campus, which is run by the company Follett, provided book vouchers. These vouchers are given out by the Academic Success Center to students who need textbooks. Any student who needs one can request up to $250 towards textbooks. The ASC gives out $5,000 worth in vouchers each year. Typically, $3,000 is given during the fall semester, and $2,000 during the spring semester. However, this semester, only a small number of vouchers were provided. Due to a great demand for book vouchers, there was not enough for all students in need.

“We want students to be successful in their classes. Not being able to afford a required text or book clearly puts a student at an academic disadvantage. We want to ensure that lack of money doesn’t get in the way of students’ academic success,” says Beasley.

She is planning to survey the faculty on their use of open source educational materials and textbooks, which she says are free. This is possible given licensing under an open copyright license. Beasley adds, “If we’re able to continue to build our collection, then I think we’ll be able to serve a greater number of students.”

The Rahall Sides atrium serves as a study area that is open 24 hours every day of the week. The books available in this textbook library are only for use in Rahall Sides, which is noted on signs posted in the area. Video surveillance cameras monitor the area in order to ensure the security of visitors and of the textbooks.

The ASC is still looking for new or used textbooks to help build the library