Help! I Can’t Afford My Textbooks!

Posted on: March 3, 2023

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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 with ways we can help and additional ideas to try if we don’t have what you need.

Tips to Get You Started

Help! I can’t afford my books!

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 JMU Libraries about putting a copy on Course Reserves or buying a copy for Course Reserves
to check with JMU’s Open Education Librarian about free and affordable course material alternatives

Get creative

check the JMU Bookstore for used books and rental editions
look for used copies online, including the JMU Undergrad Book Exchange Facebook group
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

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: Contact your liaison librarian for help finding a specific resource or contact Liz Thompson with questions about open educational resources.

Lower the barriers to education. For those who can’t afford expensive textbooks, we’re working with faculty to find cost-free, open course materials for their classes when possible and to reserve materials in the library for specific courses through our Course Reserves program.

Learn more. Meet our champion for open, affordable textbooks or visit our Open Educational Resources page to 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. You can also check out this story from The Breeze 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).

Categorised in: JMU Libraries News