The VitalSource Resource

Supplying institutions with content in an increasingly diverse and competitive marketplace requires  innovative and creative solutions. VitalSource helps publishers reach new customers, test new models, and drive revenue.

Findings from the Higher Education Statistics Agency released in February 2019 show that the percentage of full-time first degree students coming from state schools in the UK dropped in the 2017–2018 academic year. The decrease from 90% to 89.8% sees the first dip in this number for eight years.

Transitioning from either a pilot eTextbook programme to business as usual—or immediately from print to digital provision—will undoubtedly result in a great deal of change. And this change comes in many, sometimes unexpected, forms for students, instructors, and librarians. With librarians often taking the lead on the implementation of digital learning on specific courses and across an institution as a whole, the transformation of their role can be immense. From handling journals and print budgets to ordering reading lists, working on strategic projects, and allocating new budgets, the university librarian is increasingly becoming one of the most important partners in the eTextbook landscape. But managing this change effectively can be daunting, and often isn’t done successfully during the initial stages.

For years, I have highlighted VitalSource’s goals for accessible content. Today, I'm very excited to share that, through thoughtful partnerships and collaboration with many partners, VitalSource is now able to solve a critical issue for our users.

This past weekend, I had the chance to spend two days helping people build their first web application. There are few things as exciting as seeing someone interact with an application that they built and they control. Unfortunately, a lot of people haven’t been exposed to programming, or think it is too difficult. But thanks to programs like RailsBridge, and supporters like VitalSource®, more people are being given the chance to learn what they are capable of.