Custom-published
course materials have been available for a long time, but represented only a
tiny fraction of all college and university class materials, largely due to
cost, technical limitations, poor business practices, and lack of awareness of
the benefits to students, among other barriers.
Those
hurdles are crumbling, though. In the wake of calls for more affordable course
materials and more support for learning outcomes, custom publishing is becoming
a more attractive and viable option, one that more faculty are choosing once
they understand how it works.
When
done correctly, “smart” custom materials encompass precisely the content a
professor needs students to learn—and no more. Students get the content at a
much-reduced cost and are therefore more likely to acquire and use it.
Publishers and campus bookstores typically see higher sell-through with custom
materials, with fewer student complaints about prices and classes not using all
the required content.
To
help faculty, bookstores, and other campus stakeholders understand the
advantages of “smart” custom publishing and how to determine when it’s right
for a particular course, NACS Media Solutions (NMS) compiled the Guide to Custom as a resource and
starting point.
The
free digital guide explains the ins and outs of custom publishing and can be
shared with others interested in learning more. Also, printed booklet versions
of the guide can be ordered from NMS through The NACS Store (enter “Guide to
Custom” in the Product Search box).
