Alex Clarke objects to lecturers making an expensive book they have written compulsory for their own students, who then face a purchase requirement while the library must obtain copies. He describes an informal expectation in his British teaching experience that a core text costing more than £60 needs a strong justification. More expensive recommended reading is a different case because students are not required to buy it. Affordability also matters when library access is inadequate. His own dyslexia required several readings separated by time to absorb a book's content, making a short loan insufficient. An extended loan or a personal copy allowed that work.
Notable Point · 2:41:28-2:46:31
Required history books, conflicts of interest, and access
Making a lecturer's own book compulsory raises questions about cost and access, especially when short library loans prevent repeated reading.