Veronica Howard, Assistant Professor in UAA Department of Psychology welcomes Claudia Lampman, UAA Vice Provost for Student Success and Professor of Psychology, Lorelei Sterling, Assistant Professor Distance Education Librarian at UAA/APU Consortium Library, Penny Kimball, Director UAA Bookstore, and Monte Burton, Textbook Manager UAA Bookstore to discuss factors driving textbook costs. Topics include where the costs originate, unexpected sources of higher textbook costs, strategies to reduce costs and improve access to educational materials, and how partnership between students, faculty, consortium library faculty, and how the UAA Bookstore can reduce the cost of textbooks. Today , the cost of textbooks continue to rise, increasing 73% since 2006, outpacing the rate of inflation four times over (Student PIRG, 2016). These costs create a significant challenge to student success, with many students choosing to go without their course materials to the detriment of their academic success. This event is sponsored with the UAA Innovative Technology Solutions Fund.