Textbooks and the Library Collection

Recent efforts to reduce costs for textbooks and other learning materials are now blurring the lines between what is and is not a textbook. Initiatives in California, Georgia, and other states have resulted in libraries rethinking their textbook purchase policies. This case study of California State University, East Bay, an early adopter of the state system's Affordable Learning Solutions, describes the initiative, discusses the impact on the library's collection and its policies, explores unique elements of today's textbooks, and discusses possibilities for the future.