The struggle against exorbitant textbook costs at Cleveland State University (CSU) has been championed by Performing Arts and Humanities Librarian Mandi Goodsett, who has dedicated herself to this cause since being introduced to the concept of textbook affordability in 2017 by library director Glenda Thornton; since then, the library, in partnership with various campus bodies, has been proactive in offering tangible solutions.
According to a detailed article from CSU News, Goodsett—who joined CSU in 2017 after a fulfilling experience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she pursued library school—embraced the values of librarianship which include a commitment to equity, access to information and information literacy, basically she embodies those principles through her work every day, teaching students skills that enable them to thrive post-graduation. The library’s endeavor to alleviate the financial burden on students has led to the creation of the Textbook Affordability Grants, which were initiated in 2018. These grants facilitate faculty members to shift from costly commercial textbooks to free or library-licensed materials, saving students upwards of $2 million.
A crucial resource for students struggling to afford their study materials is the library's Textbook Center wherein selected textbooks can be accessed for two-hour periods, a modest offering yet sometimes a critical resource for those in dire need, when Goodsett remarked via CSU News, “For a student that simply cannot afford the textbook, access to their book for two hours can be a game changer.” Looking ahead, Goodsett and CSU are exploring the possibility of Z-Degrees, a zero-textbook-cost degree pathway. If successfully implemented, this initiative would allow students to pursue their degrees without the financial burden of textbook costs.
In 2024, Goodsett's commitment was acknowledged with the ALAO Jay Ladd Service Award. This honor recognizes significant contributions to academic libraries and librarianship on campus and within Ohio, named after OSU librarian Jay Ladd who played a pivotal role in forming the ALAO, Goodsett expressed her surprise and gratitude by stating to CSU News, “I was so surprised and honored to receive the ALAO Jay Ladd Service Award!” and she commended her professional community at the ALAO for consisting of exceptionally dedicated individuals. The CSU Poetry Center recently marked 60 years of existence, where Goodsett acknowledged its significance on campus and its reflection of the human experience through poetry, is another aspect of the university's literary culture that Goodsett emphasized.
Gratitude and a shared vision of student-centric progress echo throughout Goodsett’s sentiments as she acknowledges the CSU administration and faculty for their efforts to make textbooks more affordable for students, which has been a long-standing issue implicating the financial and academic lives of students, something Goodsett and her colleagues strive to remediate in pursuit of educational equity and success for all enrolled at CSU.
