Q. Why doesn’t the library have a copy of my textbook on reserve, or available as an electronic textbook?

You may have noticed that the library doesn't have a copy of the required textbook listed within your course outline.

Print Textbooks

In the past, Seneca Libraries purchased one copy of each current print textbook which we would circulate through our front desk. Sometimes, faculty would leave their copy of the materials to be circulated as well. This service was designed as an 'emergency source' for students who had forgotten their textbook; however, the library copies soon became the only access point with students opting out of purchasing required textbooks. On the surface, Seneca Libraries’ textbook collection was wildly popular but in reality was unsuccessful for the reasons outlined below:

• There was inequitable provision and access for different types of Seneca course textbooks
  • Custom edition textbooks were not purchased
  • Continuing Education course titles were not purchased
  • “Consumables" were not purchased, e.g., workbooks, lab manuals etc.
  • Supplemental materials were not purchased
  • Due to budgetary and space limitations the library could only purchase one copy of each text so we had to limit the usage of each text to 'two-hour in-library use only'; this restriction often led to negative interactions with dissatisfied students, especially for open-book tests.
     
• There were major copyright concerns as students were often photocopying content far beyond fair dealing amounts, which put themselves and Seneca at risk for legal recourse.
   
• There were Inherent publishing industry issues, such as:
  • The 'transitory' nature of textbooks: the library was required to purchase copies when new editions were published, which often occurred annually
  • We were supporting a business model for an industry whose inflation rate is ten times that of other sectors
  • We were supporting the continued adoption of expensive textbooks instead of alternate models of course materials, such as open educational resources, course readings lists using content for which the library already has paid subscriptions, or utilizing the fair dealing exemption available to educators at Seneca.

As a result of these substantial barriers to the program, Seneca Libraries discontinued purchasing print copies of textbooks or circulating any print course reserve materials in the Spring of 2021*. Instead, our liaison librarians are able to assist faculty with creating course readings lists using our Leganto system which can be embedded in Learn@Seneca courses, consult on fair dealing use, and provide guidance on finding open educational resources, created both at Seneca and worldwide, so that faculty can proactively move away from using commercial textbooks towards leveraging our subscription resources, as well as other no-cost alternatives for their core course material in an effort to ensure equitable access for all students.

Electronic Textbooks

Unfortunately, due to publisher licensing restrictions, digital copies of course textbooks (also known as electronic textbooks) usually cannot be acquired by Seneca Libraries.

Why? Publishers rely on each student buying a copy of textbooks, so they rarely make electronic textbooks available to libraries. If a title can be licensed from the publisher as an e-book, access is often single-user only, which presents a major barrier for courses with large numbers of students where multiple users need access simultaneously.

Seneca Libraries can only collect titles that can be licensed for institutional use in an educational setting. Access to electronic resources is set in accordance with contractual obligations to vendors. Products with overly restrictive permitted uses or access management contractual requirements cannot be considered for licensing. Examples include:

• databases or texts for which we are charged according to, and end-use is restricted to, specific students in specific courses in a specific semester only
• direct-to-user resources that typically have individual usernames, registration keys, and/or PIN numbers for each faculty member or student that cannot be shared (e.g., teacher resources, e-textbooks direct from publishers, most business cases, RedShelf, VitalSource, Campus eBookstore, etc.)

Please see the complete collection guidelines for more information.

Accessible Versions

If you require a digital version of a textbook for accommodation reasons, please book an appointment with an Accessible Learning Services counsellor.

*This decision was approved by the Academic Vice President, Associate Vice President, Students, Academic College Council, and the Seneca Student Federation in the spring of 2021