As a general policy, Hiebert Library does not purchase textbooks or course materials that are used for classroom instructional purposes at Fresno Pacific University. The library views the purchase of textbooks and course materials as part of the student's expected cost of pursuing a degree in higher education, whereas the library collection is intended to provide research materials and other resources that supplement the learning experience in the classroom. It is impossible for the library to meet student demand for all textbooks given our limited financial resources for library materials, staffing costs, and the high rate (often yearly) of textbook revisions.
Textbooks are defined as: "An edition of a book specifically intended for use of students who are enrolled in a course of study or preparing for an examination on a subject or in an academic discipline . . . sometimes published in conjunction with a workbook, lab manual, and/or teacher's manual." (from ODLIS - Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science, by Joan M. Reitz, Libraries Unlimited.).
Not all texts used for instructional purposes are textbooks as defined in this policy. For example, many titles published by university presses lend themselves to adoption in classroom instruction, but such titles are not textbooks.
Exceptions include: