Impacts

LJ’s 2019 Diverse Materials Survey reveals where efforts to build more representative and inclusive library collections are widespread, and where there are gaps.

As the cost of textbooks continues to rise, college and university students are citing increasing difficulties when it comes to paying for class materials. Library Journal ’s 2019 Textbook Affordability Survey, sponsored by Taylor & Francis Group, asked academic librarians who acquire digital and print materials for their libraries about textbook cost challenges, faculty collaborations, trends, and possible solutions.

In the same way that fitness trackers offer reality checks for sedentary lifestyles, diversity audits cast light on the homogeneity embedded within library collections, providing data that identifies gaps in representations of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and other traditionally marginalized perspectives.

The most recent report from Ithaka S+R, on Library Acquisition Patterns, examines book purchasing data gathered from academic libraries between fiscal years 2014 through 2017 in an effort to discern current acquisition trends. Takeaways include a declining university press presence, continued strong representation in humanities titles, and Amazon not leading the vendor pack by a wide margin.