Help! I Can’t Afford My Textbooks!
Posted January 2, 2025 in Featured News, General Collections News, JMU Libraries News, Open Education News
Students, if you’re feeling worried about how to pay for textbooks this semester, you’re not alone!
JMU Libraries offers several options to help students find affordable textbooks. We’ve created this list to share the ways we can help and additional ideas to try if we don’t have what you need.
Tips to Get You Started
Not everyone can afford expensive learning materials. Here are a few things you can do:
Check JMU Libraries
- use Library Search to look for your book
- find out if your professor set aside a copy in Course Reserves
- stop by a Libraries service desk or visit the Ask the Library page for help finding the textbook
Ask Your Professor…
- if an older, less expensive edition is similar enough
- to check with us about putting a copy on Course Reserves or buying a copy for Course Reserves
- to check with JMU’s Open Education Librarian about free or affordable course material alternatives
Get Creative
- check the JMU Bookstore for used books and rental editions
- submit an Interlibrary Loan request, and we will attempt to get a copy from another library for shorter-term use
- borrow from or share with a friend
- during enrollment, use the No/Low Cost filter in MyMadison to search for courses with required texts under $40
Advocate for Yourself
- tell your professor, advisor, SGA, department head, and JMU administrators. They need to know this is an issue.
More Info
Let Your Voice Be Heard
If you have ideas for additional ways we can support JMU students, join our Student Advisory Board or send us an email at libraries@jmu.edu.
Faculty, Partner with Us
Faculty, check out these 11 Easy Ways You Can Make Textbooks More Affordable. If you have questions about textbook affordability or Open Education at JMU, contact our Open Education Librarian, Liz Thompson.
Learn More
Learn more about why we are engaged with this work and what support is available for faculty who want to make their course materials more affordable for students:
- Read about the ways we’re working to make textbooks more affordable.
- Get to know our champion for open, affordable textbooks!
- Check out this story from The Breeze or this story from JMU News about our affordable textbook initiatives.
Credit: This is a derivative of Help! I can’t afford my books! (http:/bit.ly/2expensive) by University Libraries Virginia Tech, licensed under CC-BY. JMU Libraries, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY).