The biennial survey provides insights from academic leaders on the rapidly changing textbook and course materials environment

Our 2020 Survey of Academic Leadership white paper is now available for download! This survey explores the current state of textbooks and course materials, and how institutions continue to prioritize reducing course material costs and understand their impact on student success. It also compares trends from previous surveys to give you a broader understanding of the changing course material environment and the pace at which it has evolved.

Akademos will provide students with access to lower cost course materials and highly personalized service

We are thrilled to announce that the University of Lynchburg has selected Akademos as its online bookstore provider to help students obtain significant savings on course materials. 

A nationally recognized private university with more than 3,000 students and 24,000 alumni around the world, Lynchburg’s mission to prepare students for engagement in a global society and for effective leadership in the civic, professional, and spiritual dimensions of life, will be further strengthened with the Akademos partnership. The new online bookstore and course materials platform will launch in support of the summer 2020 term.

Self-operated bookstores are becoming increasingly burdened by the complex requirements of managing course materials from negotiating prices with multiple publishers, to navigating state textbook regulations, competing with online sellers, and managing custom course packs and digital materials. Fast-evolving textbook service demands can strain staff and resources.

As technology permeates more and more aspects of our lives, colleges and universities continue to implement new programs and tools to help administration, faculty, and students simplify their day. Most schools have software systems for managing everything from admissions to finances to curriculum, but when it comes to the adoption and purchasing of course materials, many institutions still use a manual process through a physical store.

If you’ve noticed life as a consumer has changed over the past decade, the transformation can be traced to one word: convenience.

It’s why Amazon has one-click purchasing, Instagram is now shoppable, and retail stores have implemented easy cashier-less checkouts. Consumer expectations have transformed at a rapidly accelerating pace—and university bookstores and their customers are not exempt from this desire for convenience.

Even as shopping becomes more accessible from wherever, whenever, many universities have struggled to keep up with the pace of change: it’s one of the reasons why bookstore sales are down by as much as 35%.

As universities continue to find ways to evolve with their students to ensure student success and retention, the model of an online bookstore managed through a partner is becoming a clear and convenient solution.

With 24/7 availability, expanded selection of inventory, lower costs, and convenient ordering and shipping, online bookstores are allowing universities to focus on meeting faculty and student needs when it comes to course materials and their effectiveness  (learn more about the 5 benefits universities see after adopting an online bookstore).

Textbook prices are on the rise and students realize that not obtaining the required course materials will affect their academic performance. There are many financial burdens students face while in college and they sometimes have to choose between purchasing textbooks or paying for food, rent, or other everyday necessities. While many colleges are working to utilize more OER (Open Educational Resources) as course material, the availability is limited for more advanced level courses. Lower cost alternatives are being provided more and more from publishers, but most of the time students don't utilize the same publishers across their various classes and students end up sharing textbooks, making copies of chapters, or just not acquiring the materials at all.