Open Education Resources
The Wyndham Robertson Library is dedicated to providing access to books and films for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. As part of this work, the library is partnering with faculty to identify open educational resources and library-subscribed resources that may be used as required course materials, in place of traditional expensive textbooks. (For more information about open education resources and the skyrocketing costs of textbooks, see: http://sparcopen.org/open-education/).
What our students say about the rising costs of traditional textbooks
“I’m still paying for books from last year on the same credit card.”
“I’ve had to put off taking some of my political science classes because I can’t afford the textbooks.”
“If I’m a disgruntled student because of textbook prices, and you’re a disgruntled professor because no one is buying your textbook, what kind of environment does that create? What kind of trust does that create?”
What the library does
- Works with faculty to identify alternative texts or films for use as required course materials that may be free or less expensive for students
- Reviews course textbook lists to identify texts, which are available for purchase and campus-wide online access
- Provides forums for faculty to learn about open educational resources (examples include two 2018 workshops on open textbooks, a spring 2016 faculty learning community, a fall 2015 program on OER for the campus community)
For Students
The library includes reserve texts in OneSearch. You can search the database here, by professor name or by course number, to see if your course has print materials on reserve in the library or available online books/films.
For Faculty
Want to learn more about how you can use library-subscribed resources as part of your course readings/viewings? Check out our video here:
Survey Results 2022 vs 2025
VIVA (Virginia’s academic library consortium) administered a survey to Hollins students to explore these questions.
- What is the impact of course material costs on educational equity among Virginia students?
How worried were you about meeting your course materials cost this semester?
| 2022 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely | 24% | 11% |
| Moderately | 33% | 11% |
| Slightly | 24% | 49% |
| Not at All | 19% | 30% |
How often does the cost of textbooks cause you to not purchase the required textbook?
| 2022 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Frequently | 25% | 34% |
| Occasionally | 35% | 19% |
| Seldom/Rarely | 19% | 22% |
| Never | 22% | 25% |
How often does the cost of textbooks cause you to earn a poor grade?
| 2022 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Frequently | 8% | 0% |
| Occasionally | 8% | 13% |
| Seldom/Rarely | 19% | 19% |
| Never | 63% | 69% |
Have any of the following large decisions been based at all on the cost of course materials?
| 2022 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Selecting a major | 26% | 25% |
| Selecting a minor | 12% | 8% |
| Selecting the institution you attend | 54% | 58% |
Hollins students selected all strategies they have used in the 2025 survey
Hollins students’ 2025 spending
“I didn’t actually buy the book required for my prerequisite classes and often read summaries off of the internet for class discussion because I could only afford to buy books of my major.”
“I often do not buy the required text for some courses if it is too expensive; rather, I try to find the material for free online. If I am unable to find it online, then I do not complete the assigned reading.”
“More than once, it’s forced me to take up another job, taking away time from doing my coursework and making it harder to keep up with what’s happening in class.”
“Not only is it a source of anxiety of wanting to save as much money as possible, but it also it is a concern that I am starting at a disadvantage and having to work harder when I cannot buy a textbook for a class.”
“The cost of course materials stresses me out, since it’s an addition to the high tuition I already pay to go to university. It makes the education I want to get less accessible, since I often try to find alternative courses that don’t have additional course fees in them.”
“I haven’t purchased a textbook or any other class materials since sophomore year. This is because textbooks and other reading materials are far too expensive to be use only once.”