In its ongoing effort to reduce students’ textbook costs, VCU Libraries has concluded another successful cycle as a partner in the VIVA Curriculum Driven Acquisitions program. VIVA, the Virginia academic library consortium, reports an estimated cost avoidance of $188,947 for VCU, impacting about 5,000 students for the 2024-25 academic year. 

The program allows VIVA to use state funds to make ebook purchases for books faculty have adopted for use in the classroom and reported as required reading through on-campus bookstores. Students can avoid the cost of buying a printed book from the bookstore and use the free ebook through the library, confident they are getting the correct text for the course.

All ebooks purchased through this program are perpetual access and allow unlimited use by any number of students simultaneously.

The program has a broad impact. Participating institutions this year were: Christopher Newport University, Longwood University, Northern Virginia Community College, Radford University, Tidewater Community College, University of Mary Washington, Virginia Tech and William & Mary. The estimated student cost avoidance statewide for all adoptions is $1.4 million this year. 

2024-25 is the fifth year VCU Libraries has participated in some iteration of the VIVA cost-saving project, beginning with the pilot program in 2020-21. The program will continue in the 2025-26 academic year, and VCU hopes to again be selected to participate.  

Like printed books, after purchase these e-titles become permanent additions to the libraries’ collection.  “This program has allowed us to grow our collections in ways that directly support VCU’s curriculum,” said Open Educational Resources Librarian Abbey Childs. “The impact of this program will only continue to grow as these titles get used semester over semester."  

The VIVA 2024-2025 Curriculum Driven Acquisitions Program Report.

More about Affordable Course Content Initiative at VCU Libraries