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How will conversion to Q2S affect library course reserves?

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In Fall 2020, CSUSB will be converting to the semester system, making the leap from the current quarter system. Currently, the Pfau library book reserves are set up to work for students in the quarter system. However, an emerging question right now is how the leap to the semester system will affect permission for course reserves in the library.

The library course reserve will have to change how they catalog the current books to set up for the conversion. The current books offered have to be moved and how they are able to be checked out has to be changed.

One of the concerns about this upcoming change is whether or not the library will get any additional funding to help provide more reserves for the students. Librarian Jill Vassilakos-Long said, “I don’t believe that we will get any extra funding for the change, we actually haven’t had actual textbook funding for two or three years now.”

The current amount of students attending CSUSB is over 20,000. The current reserve in the library has over 1200 books for the 655 courses offered at CSUSB. The ratio between students and books puts one book per 16 students. This gives every student limited time to look at the course book.

The average price of books for classes is $150, while the typical student will spend on average over $1200 a year on textbooks. The course reserves allow the students to save money and continue to be able to use the book to help them in the class.

Dominic De Jesus, a junior at CSUSB, said, “With the course reserves I’ll be able to take classes that I really do want to learn in will provide me with the chance to really get the best learning experience possible.”

These course reserves are on a long list of student resources that will be affected by the semester conversion.  Vassilakos-Long believes that it is one of the more important resources. “I have had students come up to me and say that because I have had the books in the library I was able to take two more classes a year and graduate earlier. I don’t even know what happens to the student learning when half the students have not purchased a book or when there isn’t a book for the students to access.”

The semester to quarter system will increase from ten weeks a term to fifteen weeks. This change in time spent per class will allow more students to sign up for those classes. While it will help more students get the class they need, it will call for more students trying to get the resources to help with their learning. Currently the library reserve is getting by with what they offer, but with the increase of students per class, the library won’t have enough to help out every student.

Hector Ramos, a CSUSB student, said, “I think it’ll make classes that we needed before tougher because we will be having longer weeks instead of the 10 weeks.” 

There are many who feel like this will be tougher to convert over but some students believe that the school and student will find a way to overcome the conversion issues. David Hadden, a CSUSB student, believes “the Q2S will significantly affect student learning, initially. With the progress made from current enrollment, schedule planning and resources for classes will possibly aggravate those who are trying to fulfill a certain pledge. However, once the current enrolled are gone, the semester system will become more accepted as the campus continues to grow.”

Vassilakos-Long says, “Our process will be the same. We are giving the book list beforehand, and we try to fulfill it as best as possible. It would be nice if the campus looked at the auxiliary cost and try to devote some money to help bridge any gaps like the library reserve.”

 

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