Imagine if you could start the semester without having to worry about the high cost of textbooks. For LSU students, textbook relief comes in the form of LSU Libraries’ e-textbook program, which is celebrating a decade of providing free course materials that support academic success and retention this year. 

According to David Dunaway who leads the program, “Libraries have long received requests from students asking if textbooks were available to borrow. Being able to provide unlimited-user, perpetual-access e-books that entire classes can use simultaneously allows the library to fulfill these requests more often.” 

Since Fall 2021, the program has seen explosive growth. That was the first time the program exceeded $1 million in potential student savings for that semester. By Fall 2024, the program set another record, achieving more than $5.5 million in savings. Cumulatively, it has saved more than $31 million since its inception in 2014. 

The program provides interested instructors with an easy-to-use search tool to identify e-books that the Libraries either already owns or can purchase for use in their courses. Helen Regis, LSU’s Richard J. Russell Louisiana Studies Professor in the Department of Geography & Anthropology, has enthusiastically embraced the program, saying, “The staff are so responsive. I usually find out whether or not a book is available on the same day that I make my request, which is amazing.” 

Beyond the financial savings, the program ensures all students have access to their textbooks from the start of the course, eliminating delays caused by waiting for financial aid. According to Regis, “It’s been really wonderful to be able to have the students access [the textbooks] through LSU Libraries and through Moodle... They have them right away at the start of the semester.” 

This ensures all students, regardless of their financial situation, have the resources they need from day one. It also alleviates the stress of having to share or go without textbooks, enabling students to focus fully on their coursework and improve their academic performance. 

On average, 377 courses utilize LSU Libraries’ e-textbooks per year. Over the past 10 years, an average of 27,246 students have benefited annually (this includes instances of the same student benefiting across multiple courses and semesters). 

Faculty also benefit by knowing their students have reliable access to course materials, fostering a more productive learning environment. 

“Because of this program, I’m able to have [students] read a greater variety of texts from different parts of the world. There’s a benefit for accessibility as well, in terms of people with different abilities being able to engage with the material,” Regis said.

Currently, professors opt into the program on a course-by-course basis. However, over the next 10 years, Dunaway plans to deepen the program’s impact by embedding it into campus culture as an essential resource for affordable learning. One way the Libraries is achieving this goal is by encouraging students to ask their instructors to request e-textbook versions of their course materials, thereby increasing participation. 

“By fostering greater engagement, the program will continue to grow, reduce textbook costs for more students, and enhance academic success,” Dunaway said.