An interview with Flora Bourne from The University of Manchester

For this edition of Meet the Librarian, Emily Musgrave (a Kortext Student Ambassador) spoke to Flora Bourne, eTextbook Programme Coordinator, at The University of Manchester.

Read on to discover the challenges faced by the Library post-pandemic, and how Manchester is taking a proactive approach to improving the student experience.

What does your role involve?

My role involves managing the eTextbook Programme, which sits within the Teaching Collections Team as part of the Library’s Collection Strategies Directorate.

On a daily basis, I liaise with team colleagues, members of academic teaching staff, students, the Kortext team and publishers, resolving any issues, plus planning and preparing the programme for the following year.

What is the eTextbook Programme?

Our eTextbook Programme is fundamental in supporting the full spectrum of teaching methods in the University’s Flexible Learning Programme and has been crucial in underpinning online teaching.

The programme was launched in 2018 and is one of the largest in the UK. It is now well established, after being expanded over the last few years, and – this year alone – there are over 34,000 students and over 1,200 course modules with at least one eTextbook. Last year, the programme was accessed in 141 countries around the world, highlighting its broad use globally.

We aim to provide each student with their own personal copy of a downloadable, interactive, electronic textbook. Unlike standard eBooks, the eTextbooks are purchased for every student on a module, meaning it is the electronic equivalent of buying them their own print copy. In most cases, students can download the book and keep it for the duration of their studies.

The programme intends, amongst other things, to alleviate the demand for core textbooks that could never be provided in sufficient numbers in print. This is a particular issue for large cohorts and distance learning students where traditional print and eBook models cannot satisfy demand.

The programme ensures that each student has equity of access to the crucial textbooks required for their course.

What services are provided by The University of Manchester Library?

All the services that we offer are clearly signposted for students on the Library website.

In addition to the usual services expected of a large university library, we also provide training and support for students. This includes workshops, drop-in sessions all year round, and online resources – these are all part of My Learning Essentials at Manchester.

To ensure that students can get the most out of the Library, there is additional support available during and in the lead up to exams, with additional study spaces, revision workshops, etc. These services are not only available to undergraduate students, but to postgraduate students and researchers too, guaranteeing help and support to every individual linked with the University.

Are there any challenges you face?

Ensuring that we take a forward-thinking approach is key to meeting the evolving needs of students. In relation to the eTextbook Programme, one recent example might be to ensure that we stay one step ahead of AI technology, in order to continue supporting every student effectively.

Regarding the most significant challenge for the Library, it would definitely be the need to cope with increasing student numbers, and the ever-increasing demand for adaptable study spaces to suit various needs. This is particularly important for Manchester since it is one of the largest universities in the UK, and therefore requires a large number of spaces to accommodate student demand.

To meet the needs of students today we are constantly thinking about improvements to our Library estate. We took advantage of the fact that, since Covid-19, many staff now successfully work from home some of the time. The reduced need for staff workspaces has meant that we have been able to give some staff spaces over to students, and this has already made a positive impact.

What has been the overall impact of Covid-19?

Prior to the pandemic, we intended to release the eTextbook Programme to the University incrementally, but because of Covid-19, the team had to respond very quickly to a huge demand for online material, as all students shifted to digital learning.

Thanks to the early launch of the programme, and the pilots which had been undertaken previously, we were in a really good position to expand quickly, providing academics with the resources they required to teach students online.

The shift to digital learning meant that we saw a rapid uptake of the reading list service more generally, and there were high levels of use by both teaching staff and students.

Equally, since it was one of the few buildings that remained open throughout the lockdowns, the Library had never been so central as a study space for the on-campus experience. This emphasised the importance of the Library and encouraged more students to make use of it post-pandemic as well.

Final thoughts

Overall, I think The University of Manchester’s extensive eTextbook Programme, and breadth of Library services, bring many benefits for staff and students – all leading to a great student experience.

To find out more about The University of Manchester Library, tap here.

This blog has been written by Emily Musgrave, a Kortext Student Ambassador at The University of Manchester, and reviewed by our team.