How UMass is making textbooks more affordable, and how students can access them- Irina Costache, Daily Collegian

As the spring semester begins, so does the scramble to find cheap textbooks. Online retailers, local bookshops and even students with books left over from the past semester all compete to offer the lowest prices to buyers. Aside from purchasing textbooks, a coalition of various members around the UMass community is working to create free education options for students. The W.E.B. DuBois Library also offers a free supply of textbooks available for loan. “The cost of textbooks has a huge impact on whether a student is successful in a class and is the one college cost that faculty have control over,” said Jeremy Smith, digital projects manager and leader of the Open Educational Initiative. “Research on student success supports the fact that students with full access to all course materials on day one perform better in class…the cost of textbooks has forced students to not purchase a textbook, take a different class, not take a class or make different decisions about their major.” https://dailycollegian.com/2019/01/how-umass-is-making-textbooks-more-affordable-and-how-students-can-access-them/