How to identify zero cost to students flexibly-licensed textbooks

Overview

This page outlines options for selecting eTextbooks and study materials that maximise access to resources while minimising cost to students. Further support and information can be found in the Readings for Academic Staff LibGuide.

Open educational resources (OERs)

OERs offer many benefits for learning and teaching:

• Unlimited simultaneous usage
• Full-text downloads for flexible use offline
• Copying and printing permission
• Compliant with principles of universal design for learning (UDL), maximising accessibility for all students
• Often Peer-reviewed or publicly reviewed and rated
• Authored by academic experts
• Openly licensed for adapting to local contexts, new information, and different languages

Explore the Open Education Resources Discovery Collection.

Learn more about OERs and how to find them from JCU Library’s OER Guide.

Connect with Library staff if you would like assistance identifying suitable OERs for your subjects or creating your own JCU Open eBook.

Search existing Library collections

JCU Library subscribes to a number of e-Textbook collections, providing access to many high quality, multidisciplinary resources with unlimited user access, ensuring that students have equitable access to learning materials.

Explore the Library's A–Z Database List to access scholarly databases, eBook collections, journals, scholarly video content, and other online resources for research and study, including many Open Access options.

Discover resources in One Search using a book’s title and an author’s surname. If you don’t have a specific textbook in mind search by keywords and subject area.

Individual Purchases

If you have browsed the Library's eTextbook, OER and existing library resource collections and still have not found a suitable prescribed or recommended text, you can request the Library purchase a copy of your selected textbook.

Where possible, JCU Library subscribes to eTextbook copies of commercial prescribed texts (see JCU Library Prescribed and Recommended Textbook Guidelines). However, they often come with licence restrictions that may limit concurrent users, downloads, copying, printing, or access to supplementary materials. Such limitations can impact student access during high-demand periods, such as before assignment deadlines or during exams.

To submit a textbook purchase request to the Library

• Add your textbook to your Readings list
• Select an importance of Prescribed Textbook or Recommended textbook
• This will be reviewed by library staff within two business days, and you will receive communication from the library regarding your request

Purchasing of eBooks is determined by the eBook licence available for libraries. Print copies of prescribed textbooks are only purchased when an acceptable library licence is not available for the eBook.

Typical user access models

• Unlimited: This licence allows unlimited simultaneous user access without restriction on the number of users.
• 1 or 3 user licences: Use is limited to only 1 or 3 users at the same time. These texts are often restricted to read-online access (or chapter downloads) to maximise student access.
• Concurrent or non-linear licences: While there’s no limit on the number of simultaneous users, access is restricted to a set number of uses per year - typically between 200 and 325. Once this limit is reached, access is suspended. However, if the usage cap is reached before the subscription renewal date, the Library may be able to purchase additional access.
• Printing, copying and download limits: Individual titles will offer different functionality limits. It is important to consider whether these limits will suit the needs of your subjects and students.