Document Type
Blog
Publication Date
5-13-2020
Abstract
I teach history for Houston Community College. Among my various breads and butters is the US survey: US history from pre-contact to 1877 and 1877 to the present. We use a textbook, a reader (essays, articles, and primary source documents) and a monograph or two. In 2006 I was faced with using a $100 reader. I was concerned if the student population could be able to afford the book (in addition to the textbook and monographs). Especially knowing (fearing) that the entire book will not be used by my colleagues nor read by students. So, I was given the green light to create an e-reader, housed on the Department’s web page, to be a choice besides the $100 reader. Students were so thankful that I saved them $100, even more so because students told me then that the entire book was not used and so they always felt like they were wasting their money on expensive books that were not completely used. Students lodge that same complaint today about their chemistry, math,humanities and other expensive textbooks they are forced to buy but not completely used.