The VitalSource Resource

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.

Kimberly Holland and her team at Kennesaw State University Bookstore are on a mission to support student learning. If you’re surprised a campus store’s primary goal is student success, you may be shocked to learn that campus stores across the country are leading the charge to improve course materials affordability and access. In fact, at KSU, the store team has spent nearly six years working to bring to life a program that offers affordable, day-one access to course materials, all to benefit students.

As we enter 2019 and return to school and work, it’s clear that we’re finally in a digital-first world for learning materials.

Our internal stats really illustrate this macro trend. At this time last year, we had enabled a total of 7.8 million learners to access the learning materials that enabled them to excel in their pursuit of new skills and degrees. Now, we’ve almost doubled that number with over 15 million active learners; we rank in the top few hundred websites in the world during our busiest periods..