Students at Worcester State University will have expanded access to academic eBooks thanks to a new grant supporting collaboration among public higher education libraries across the Commonwealth.
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners recently awarded a $100,000 grant to the Higher Education Libraries of Massachusetts (HELM) to support its Shared eBooks Purchasing Project, an initiative that allows libraries at public colleges and universities to jointly select, purchase, and share eBooks. The collaborative effort is designed to expand access to digital resources while reducing costs for individual institutions.
For Worcester State students, the grant means more available titles and easier access to course materials online.
“The funding from MBLC is truly transformative for the 66,000-plus students enrolled at HELM member libraries,” said Matt Bejune, executive director of the library at Worcester State. “We could not have done this without the assistance from MBLC. We are thoroughly grateful for the grant support.”
The HELM network was created to encourage resource sharing among Massachusetts public higher education institutions. One of its core initiatives has been developing a shared library system that enables users to discover and access materials across member campuses.
In 2018, with assistance from the Fenway Library Organization, HELM created a shared integrated library system using the Koha Integrated Library System. While students could discover eBooks from other HELM institutions, previous license agreements often prevented those titles from being shared widely. The new grant allows HELM libraries to purchase eBooks with unlimited user licenses, making them accessible to students and faculty across all participating campuses.
That expanded access is especially valuable for today’s students, many of whom rely on digital materials for research and coursework.
“The HELM eBooks grant greatly expands access to eBooks both in terms of increasing the number of titles in popular subject areas and enabling online access,” Bejune said. “Whereas print books often enable one use at a time, the new eBooks have unlimited simultaneous user licenses. Multiple users, including all students in a class, can read the eBooks at the same time.”
Bejune added that the shared titles may also help reduce textbook costs if faculty adopt them as course materials. The purchases are funded through the MBLC grant and come at no additional cost to the university.
Library leaders say the project reflects the growing importance of digital resources in higher education.
“Research has become more reliant on eBooks and electronic resources and many HELM schools are also seeing increases in online course offerings and enrollments,” said Kate Butler, library information systems specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. “In this changing environment, it’s important for libraries to offer innovative research solutions to the students and faculty that may never set foot on their physical campuses. HELM has been at the forefront of innovative library collaborations for many years, and this project helps libraries keep pace with demand.”
The HELM Shared eBooks Purchasing Project was initially launched as a pilot program in June 2025 with the MBLC grant. Eight librarians volunteered to serve on the HELM eBooks Selectors Committee, choosing titles in high-demand subject areas such as Allied Health, Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Nursing, and STEM.
Future purchases are planned in additional shared curricular areas, including Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, Human Services, and Spanish and Portuguese language studies.
The initiative complements Worcester State’s ongoing efforts to make education more affordable. University students saved nearly $2 million last year through no-cost and low-cost course materials.
“The eBooks grant is a separate and complementary effort,” Bejune said. “Library staff are committed to increasing affordability knowing that every cost impacts our students. We’ve engaged in many activities designed to save students money, including adopting open educational resources, offering free research help, and providing textbooks through course reserves.”
As digital learning continues to grow and more students rely on online materials, the HELM collaboration ensures that Worcester State students have broader access to the resources they need—whether they are studying on campus or remotely.