Ask a Librarian

There are a number of courses at TSTC that now subscribe to Cengage products, including: MindTap, Cengage Unlimited, WebAssign, SAM, OWLv2, CNOWv2, Cengage Infuse, or Cengage Textbooks/eBooks. According to Cengage, instructors have complementary eBook access to any textbooks that are adopted or are being considered for adoption. Faculty can go to cengage.com/instructors to request access to resources for any required texts. 

Although Cengage provides complementary access to instructors, students are expected to purchase their own individual copies. Due to licensing availability, TSTC libraries will not be able to acquire these textbooks. Please note that the library cannot simply acquire eBooks available on the market. Unlike eBooks that are purchased for personal use, libraries can only purchase eBooks with appropriate “institutional” licensing which permits library users (those who are members of that institution) to freely borrow according to the licensing agreement. Whether or not an eBook has institutional licensing for library acquisition is fully at the discretion of the publisher/copyright owner.

NOTE: As this is strictly between Cengage and TSTC, Library Services will not be able to provide any technical support, including assistance with purchase, access, or troubleshooting connectivity issues.

If you are interested in replacing your course textbooks with freely accessible course materials, visit the Open Educational Resources (OER) & Affordable Learning or get in touch with library staff. Although partnerships with departments and Library Services has resulted in a number of courses having since replaced costly textbooks with alternatives, successful outcome is contingent upon multiple factors including subject area, resource availability, material format, topic specificity, and instructor’s availability. Ideally, it is preferred that instructors reach out to library staff well before start of the term.