Flinders University Library textbook provision guidelines

Library policies and guidelines

The Library and teaching staff share responsibility for ensuring students have access to essential learning materials. However, textbook procurement can be complex, with issues arising around licensing restrictions, cost and availability.

The Library defines a textbook as:

A prescribed core text that is integrated into topic delivery or used extensively throughout the topic.

As a topic coordinator, you are not obliged to use a textbook for your topic. The acquisition of and access to textbooks via the Library may be affected by licensing, costs, publishing and access models.

To assist your decision-making about whether to assign a prescribed textbook for your topic, the Library has prepared the following guidelines:

Notifying the Library

Teaching staff are required to submit a textbook notification form for any newly assigned textbooks, including updates to newer editions. This only needs to be done once; the Library will continue to list the title as the recommended or required textbook until notified of changes.

The Library can work with you to confirm textbook availability, any institutional licence restrictions, and to arrange acquisition before the start of the teaching period.

Book details will also be listed on the student textbook page, allowing students to easily find and access resources required for their topic.

If no textbook notification is received for a topic, it is assumed that no required textbook is assigned.

Notify the Library of your textbook

License purchase preferences

The library has developed the following principles, which will guide purchase and access decisions for textbooks.

The Library prioritises purchasing unlimited user licence eBooks to maximise access
If unlimited licences are not offered, the Library will purchase up to 3x3-user licences per title
Print copies are only purchased if no electronic version is available

Rationale

Supports equitable access to resources for teaching and research
Helps manage budget impact while ensuring the broadest availability

Access to textbooks

The Higher Education Support Act 2003 and the TEQSA Guidance note: learning resources and educational support, advise that the Library must be able to provide a level of availability to required resources for students. Access can be either via a physical book or full-text digital access, where possible.

Unlimited access to resources via the Library is dependent on licence availability. Therefore, the Library should not be considered the primary source of textbook access for students. Students may be required to buy their own copy to ensure continuous access to the material, or for use during open-book exams.

Before assigning a textbook, consider the risks associated with your choice and its potential impact on students.  Consider the following questions and review the risk table below:  

Is the textbook available as an eBook through the Library?
Are there any access limitations? E.g. user licence limitations
Can it support large cohorts of students accessing it? 
Will students need to access the textbook for an exam or other assessment?
Does the choice proactively reduce study costs for students?

Textbook availability	Risks	Limitations
Available within the Library collection, or for purchase by the Library.	If a textbook is available through a subscription, access may be withdrawn. The subscription may not be renewed due to changes in licence conditions.	Digital or eBook licences may have limits placed on them by publishers. Titles may only be available to institutions under a 1 or 3 concurrent user limit. The resource may only be available for reading online. Titles may have print and copy limitations.
Digitise a limited portion of the textbook.	Once selected, you cannot change the digitised portion.	Only a limited portion of the textbook can be digitised for the study period - up to 1 chapter or 10% (whichever is larger).
Freely available online.	It could be updated or removed at any point.	Not always available in print.