Designing a Library-Led Textbook Selection Consult Model for Affordability
Location
Online
Start Date
14-10-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
14-10-2026 11:00 AM
Description
Abstract:
This session will explore how librarians at Oregon Health & Science University designed a data-informed Textbook Affordability Consultation pilot that supports faculty in choosing affordable, accessible course materials. Framed as a collaborative, service-based approach rather than a one-time project, the pilot responds to faculty interest in affordability, student success, and a growing need for clearer guidance around the range of options available.
The session will be organized in three parts. First, we will describe the need that inspired the pilot, including what we learned in an initial information gathering phase from surveys, interviews, and data analysis of library-purchased textbooks. Second, we will walk through the planning and execution of the project: defining scope, creating documentation and intake processes, investigating ebook access issues, building workflows, and recruiting pilot participants. Third, we will share the service model we are preparing to implement, including staffing considerations, process development, and lessons that may help other libraries adopt a similar approach.
This presentation will be especially relevant to librarians looking for practical examples of faculty–library collaboration to advance textbook affordability and student savings. Through a detailed look at a pilot textbook selection service, attendees will see how one institution structured a consultation workflow—from intake through research and faculty engagement—and how that model can inform their own efforts. The session will highlight adaptable components of the project development and service design that participants can apply within their local contexts to strengthen affordability initiatives.
Librarians with more established programs may also find value in the service design model. Participants will explore the project’s workflow, and early lessons learned in developing a textbook selection service.
Outcomes:
Identify key barriers faculty face in selecting affordable course materials. Understand how one library developed a consultation workflow for textbook selection support, including intake, search, and faculty engagement stages. Recognize adaptable aspects of the project design and service model for use at their institution
Bios:
- Brandon Wilkinson is a Health Sciences Education & Research Librarian and the primary contact for the School of Nursing at Oregon Health & Science University Library, and has worked in community college and university libraries in Oregon and Washington over the last decade. His teaching is focused on research skills and information literacy for nursing and medical students, and his academic interests include privacy rights, intellectual freedom, dis-/misinformation, and the psychology of persuasion. He was on the Oregon Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and chaired their Library Instruction Round Table. Brandon is also an artist and paints portraits, landscapes, and pets.
- Carin Yavorcik is the Collections Management & Strategic Assessment Librarian for Oregon Health & Science University, where she leads the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information and data to facilitate planning and decision-making related to the Library's resources and services. Her work in textbook affordability focuses on helping students and faculty access course materials while supporting sustainable and affordable approaches to textbook provision.
Designing a Library-Led Textbook Selection Consult Model for Affordability
Online
Abstract:
This session will explore how librarians at Oregon Health & Science University designed a data-informed Textbook Affordability Consultation pilot that supports faculty in choosing affordable, accessible course materials. Framed as a collaborative, service-based approach rather than a one-time project, the pilot responds to faculty interest in affordability, student success, and a growing need for clearer guidance around the range of options available.
The session will be organized in three parts. First, we will describe the need that inspired the pilot, including what we learned in an initial information gathering phase from surveys, interviews, and data analysis of library-purchased textbooks. Second, we will walk through the planning and execution of the project: defining scope, creating documentation and intake processes, investigating ebook access issues, building workflows, and recruiting pilot participants. Third, we will share the service model we are preparing to implement, including staffing considerations, process development, and lessons that may help other libraries adopt a similar approach.
This presentation will be especially relevant to librarians looking for practical examples of faculty–library collaboration to advance textbook affordability and student savings. Through a detailed look at a pilot textbook selection service, attendees will see how one institution structured a consultation workflow—from intake through research and faculty engagement—and how that model can inform their own efforts. The session will highlight adaptable components of the project development and service design that participants can apply within their local contexts to strengthen affordability initiatives.
Librarians with more established programs may also find value in the service design model. Participants will explore the project’s workflow, and early lessons learned in developing a textbook selection service.
Outcomes:
Identify key barriers faculty face in selecting affordable course materials. Understand how one library developed a consultation workflow for textbook selection support, including intake, search, and faculty engagement stages. Recognize adaptable aspects of the project design and service model for use at their institution
Bios:
- Brandon Wilkinson is a Health Sciences Education & Research Librarian and the primary contact for the School of Nursing at Oregon Health & Science University Library, and has worked in community college and university libraries in Oregon and Washington over the last decade. His teaching is focused on research skills and information literacy for nursing and medical students, and his academic interests include privacy rights, intellectual freedom, dis-/misinformation, and the psychology of persuasion. He was on the Oregon Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and chaired their Library Instruction Round Table. Brandon is also an artist and paints portraits, landscapes, and pets.
- Carin Yavorcik is the Collections Management & Strategic Assessment Librarian for Oregon Health & Science University, where she leads the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information and data to facilitate planning and decision-making related to the Library's resources and services. Her work in textbook affordability focuses on helping students and faculty access course materials while supporting sustainable and affordable approaches to textbook provision.