25.11.2025, 19:00–19:45 o'clock (Europe/Berlin), Purple Room
The American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola has long struggled to provide affordable textbooks. Since 2005, its hybrid library offered print and digital resources, but sourcing physical books proved costly, slow, and risky due to Nigeria’s publishing limitations, import hurdles, and regional insecurity. To bridge this gap, the Textbook Affordability Project tested e-textbooks as cheaper, instant, and portable alternatives. The initiative involved librarians, tech staff, and student workers, ensuring both technical and peer support. A key outcome was Library-On-A-Flash (LOAF), a flash-drive tool preloaded with free scholarly e-books for offline use, addressing poor internet access and extending resources to schools and NGOs. Results were positive: students accessed materials faster and at lower cost. Yet challenges remain—limited devices, digital literacy gaps, licensing barriers, and preference for print. Despite this, AUN’s efforts show how innovation in resource-limited, conflict-affected contexts can advance access, equity, and OER adoption. Sharing this at OERcamp25 highlights sustainable approaches to textbook provision and the belief that knowledge access should not depend on geography, cost, or conflict.
Beginners, Advanced
Additional information –The session will be facilitated by the Interim University Librarian of the American University of Nigeria. The AUN Library has pioneered a Textbook Affordability Project, an initiative to provide the students with cost-effective, timely and accessible digital textbooks.
Language of the session –English
Benson Ali is the Interim University Librarian at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola. He holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Ibadan and has over two decades of professional experience in public, research, and academic libraries. Since joining AUN in 2005, he has been instrumental in the university’s transition from print to digital resources and pioneered the Textbook Affordability Experiment to improve student access to learning materials. Beyond his university role, he has coordinated impactful community projects, including the Library-On-A-Flash (LOAF) initiative for Open Educational Resources and the Public Access to Health Information (PAHI) project in northeastern Nigeria. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Karatu Library Foundation and has contributed to the Universal Service Provision Fund’s assessment for community cyber cafés in Adamawa State. His work reflects a strong commitment to expanding access to information, promoting literacy, and supporting underserved communities.