Textbook Affordability + WordPress + DC API = Unique eTextbook Portal Collaboration

As part of a textbook affordability initiative, the University of Central Florida Libraries sought ways to inform students that hundreds of required textbooks are available for free as library eTextbooks. When other methods did not include necessary information such as a link to the eTextbook or other details, a secondary method was investigated: creating an eTextbook Portal. An eTextbook Portal serves as a searchable webpage to help students locate eTextbooks that match their courses. A collaboration between the institutional repository, textbook affordability, and web services produced this creative solution to organize and share information for each eTextbook using Digital Commons to host the content. Utilizing a book gallery with customized metadata fields and the Batch Upload File Manager for adding cover images, each eTextbook has its own record and thumbnail image stored in the institutional repository. The goal of providing students with a quick, intuitive approach to locating the information and accessing the eTextbooks was made possible through the magic of the Digital Commons API, CSS styling, and a webpage designed to pull the information stored in the institutional repository to create the eTextbook Portal