Tag Archives: accessibility

Maximizing UVic Libraries eBooks for Students

eTextbooks for Students (Fall 2023)

We are continuing with UVic Libraries etextbooks for students project, started in fall 2021, to track the use of library licensed electronic books assigned in courses for the fall 2023 academic term. The project provides a list of electronic versions of course textbooks that are available to students through the Library and supports access and affordability efforts that are important to student success. This year, the list has moved to a new location.

This project complements the Libraries’ advocacy efforts and aligns with its Strategic Directions. With this project we have the opportunity to scan the university landscape to determine the extent to which the Libraries’ licensed resources are being used at all levels of course work. The Libraries’ expanded ebook collection allows instructors to assign quality course materials, while providing affordable solutions for students.

These savings improve students’ access to affordable, quality education and are closely aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals #4.

During the 2023 fall term, we believe instructors saved UVic students a total of $436,889.11 by identifying 183 titles used in 160 courses. Please check back here at the beginning of the spring 2024 semester for further savings.

CALL TO ACTION:

FACULTY: Let us know if you are using an open textbook or UVic Libraries licensed resources for your course this academic year!

STUDENTS: Let us know if you are accessing an open textbook or library licensed resources for your course!

Maximizing UVic Libraries eBooks for Students

eTextbooks for Students ( Summer 2023)

In our continuing effort to track the use of library licensed electronic books assigned in courses we identified 81 titles used in 40 courses during the summer semester. We searched the University Bookstore’s textbook catalog to identify titles adopted by instructors. In adopting the Libraries licensed resources for their courses, we believe instructors saved UVic students a total of $40, 944.75 and in doing so created high impact for students’ access and affordability to a quality education. The total savings for the 2022-23 academic year is $835,413.75. These savings improve students’ access to affordable, quality education and is closely aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals #4.

CALL TO ACTION:

FACULTY: Lets us know if you are using an open textbook or a UVic Libraries licensed resources for you course this academic year.

STUDENTS: Let us know if you are accessing an open textbook or library licensed resources for your course!

Maximizing UVic Libraries eBooks for Students

eTextbooks for Students (2022-2023)

We are continuing with UVic Libraries pilot project, started in fall 2021, to track the use of library licensed electronic books assigned in courses for the spring 2022-23 academic term. The eTextbooks project supports access and affordability efforts that are important to student success. The website lists the ebooks by title, Course number, term, and Instructors’ last name.

This project complements the Libraries’ advocacy efforts around open education resources (OER) and aligns with its Strategic Directions. Our OER initiative includes an annual offering of OER grants, cross-campus collaborations with Learning Teaching Support & Innovation, the Bookstore, and the Undergraduate Student Union (UVSS). The project gave us the opportunity to scan the university landscape to determine the extent to which the Libraries’ licensed resources were being used at all levels of course work. The Libraries’ expanded ebook collection allows instructors to assign quality course materials, while providing affordable solutions for students.

With the assistance of our Young Canada Works intern, Liam McParland, we identified 280 total titles used in 394 courses during the fall and spring terms. We searched the University Bookstore’s textbook catalog to identify titles adopted by instructors. In adopting the Libraries licensed resources for their courses, we believe instructors saved UVic students a total of $794,469 and in doing so created high impact for students’ access and affordability to a quality education. These savings improve students’ access to affordable, quality education and is closely aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals #4.

CALL TO ACTION:

FACULTY: Lets us know if you are using an open textbook or a UVic Libraries licensed resources for you course this academic year.

STUDENTS: Let us know if you are accessing an open textbook or library licensed resources for your course!

Maximizing UVic Libraries eBooks for Students

eTextbooks for Students (2021-2022)

Today we’d like to share a story about UVic Libraries pilot project to track the use of library licensed electronic books assigned in courses for fall 2021 and spring 2022 terms. This project was modeled after a similar program developed at Florida State University, Arizona State University, Penn State University, and other libraries. The eTextbooks project supports access and affordability efforts that are important to student success. The new “eTextbooks for Students” website lists the ebooks by title, Course number, term, and Instructors’ last name.

A selection of ebook titles by course number, title and instructor

Sample set of required ebooks for courses (by terms, course, and instructor) available through UVic Libraries.

In conducting the project we identified 327 total titles used in 270 courses during the fall and spring terms. We searched the University Bookstore’s textbook catalog and titles adopted through the Libraries Course Reserves service to identify titles adopted by instructors. In adopting the Libraries licensed resources for their courses, we believe instructors saved UVic students a total of $625,521.91 and in doing so created high impact for students’ access and affordability to a quality education.

Challenges

We were not able to gather together all library licensed ebook titles adopted by instructors who may have posted a link through Brightspace, the university’s course management system, in course outlines, or elsewhere. Unfortunately, there is no one place where all this data is gathered. In addition, we were not able to pull together the title list early enough that students could be informed about their availability. The Bookstore informed students, via the textbook catalogue, when ebook alternative were available via the Libraries ebook collection, but they weren’t able to easily provide direct URLs to each title.

Next Steps

For the next phase of the project, we hope to disseminate information about the project and the resulting cost savings for students. We hope to create momentum, through our marketing efforts, to continue to expand the adoption of the Libraries ebook collection in courses. We also plan to strategize ways in which we can collate a title list to expand the program and get the information to students as early as possible.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank our Young Canada Works Intern, Mary Macleod, for her work on this project.

Wikipedian events: inclusion and accessibility

The ETCL/UVic Libraries Honorary Resident Wikipedian this year is Silvia Gutiérrez De la Torre, the Digital Humanities Librarian at El Colegio de México in Mexico City. Silvia is a fantastic, energetic librarian who is interested in issues related to equity and diversity. She will be giving a couple of talks in October. Please join us if you’re able. Calendar invitations are attached.

Barriers to Diversity in Wikipedia: The Importance of the Worlds We Don’t Know About

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

10:00am – 11:00am

Via Zoom – please register

We’ve seen monolithic narratives in action: they can form parties, they can create countries. However, in a world collapsing from climate change and social inequalities, we need to do better than that. We need to embrace diversity, and in order to care, we ought to learn. Wikipedia, as one of the most visited websites in the world, could be a good place to start. The bad news is it is not quite there yet. The good news is we can do something about it. In this talk, UVic’s Honorary Resident Wikipedian, Silvia Gutiérrez De la Torre, will address barriers to diversity in Wikipedia. This public lecture is sponsored by UVic Libraries and the Electronic Textual Cultures Lab.

Web Accessibility Workshop and Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

Thursday, October 22, 2020

10:00am – 12:00pm

Via Zoom – please register

Authoring Effective Alternative Text Descriptions (10-11): Adam Wilton and Jennifer Jesso from the Accessibility Resource Centre BC will offer this free workshop for anyone who would like to create more accessible web content. Learn how to author and use alt-text descriptions effectively to ensure that your web content is available to all researchers, including those who are using screen readers and other forms of access technology.

Wikipedia Accessibility Edit-a-thon (11-12): Learn how to edit Wikipedia’s image database in this free workshop with UVic’s Honorary Resident Wikipedian, Silvia Gutiérrez De la Torre, and UVic’s Digital Scholarship Librarian, Matt Huculak. This accessibility edit-a-thon will walk you through the process of creating an account, uploading your images, and creating alt-tags and image descriptions to help make Wikipedia more usable for all humans.