Frederick E. Berry Library Fund

The cost of textbooks for students has risen more than four times the cost of inflation in the last ten years, and according to a study by U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), seven in ten students didn’t purchase a textbook they needed for a class because it was too expensive.

These textbooks and additional learning materials can cost students approximately $1,200 per year, and for some Salem State students, the cost of a single textbook can spell the difference between staying in school or withdrawing.

In the library, we provide a guide to assist faculty with finding and adopting quality open educational resources (OER) that help reduce the cost of course materials for students. These teaching, learning and research resources are intentionally created and licensed to be free, saving students thousands of dollars. Not only do these resources break down barriers of affordability and accessibility, they have been shown to increase student learning—contributing to an environment where students can focus on intellectual exploration and collaboration.

Through MEET THE MOMENT^®, we can expand our access to open educational resources, which include full courses, course materials, textbooks, interactive materials such as simulations and role plays, databases, software, apps, websites, videos, and more, giving faculty the opportunity to customize specific educational needs for their students and helping to meet them where they are. 

Salem State’s Makerspace is a collaborative workspace within the Berry Library and Learning Commons that encourages creative play, hands-on learning, exploration, and collaboration.

The provided materials are in alignment with disciplines and curriculum across the university, helping to foster learning through inquiry. As a natural space for collaboration, students utilize the makerspace freely, practicing critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they imagine solutions to projects or even real-world problems.

The MEET THE MOMENT^® campaign includes substantive investments in proven models that provide the foundational tools students need to pursue their interests, stay motivated and realize their dreams.

The Salem State University archives and special collections tell the story of the university's history, documenting people and events that inform our historical understanding and cultural identity as a university while also supporting our greater mission of accessible education and research.

These archival materials are rare, unique or historical, and are housed in a 5,000 sq ft secure and climate-controlled facility on the ground floor of Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons. Collections chronicle the university’s inception as the Salem Normal School in 1854 to present, and the space houses materials that document Salem’s history from all eras, historic geography and map collections and North Shore political papers of local political figures and organizations that seek to affect public policy.

Through the MEET THE MOMENT^® campaign, we are bolstering support for academic excellence funding across each of Salem State’s schools and colleges, providing the flexible resources needed to support innovation in areas ranging from faculty research initiatives to student projects, which are core to the archives.