No More Textbooks

Abstract

With college textbook prices soaring, acceptable solutions are difficult to find. After going over the controversial past of textbooks, some of the reasons for these skyrocketing costs and the impact they are having on students, professors and higher education institutions are reviewed. This article outlines a solution that is pleasing to all interested parties: students, faculty, administration, legislatures and the public in general. By eliminating traditional textbooks and replacing them with books from personal libraries, the cost goes down; the intellectual challenge for both the students and the professor rises; and productivity, as defined by completion rates, improves. This is a win/win solution with very little downside that can transform the teaching/learning process. No longer do textbooks need to be a barrier to higher education; instead, personal library books can increase the rigour and create significant learning in students. It is a simple solution to a problem that is becoming out of control in today’s college classroom.