UT Libraries and VolBooks Partner to Save Students Money and Time

VolBooks’ Total Access program offers undergraduates one flat fee per term for all required course materials. Students can easily access digital course materials by logging into their Canvas accounts. Course materials that are freely available through UT Libraries as electronic books with unlimited user licenses are also accessible through the Canvas portal.

“VolBooks and the UT Libraries have created a partnership to help make course materials more affordable to our students,” VolBooks interim assistant director Betty Phillips explained.

UT Libraries and VolBooks have further streamlined the process through which students access free and low-cost course materials — saving students time as well as money.

Beginning Spring Semester, students will be able to access ALL e-textbooks with a single click on “VolBooks Course Materials (VitalSource)” in the Canvas sidebar. This includes free e-textbooks made available by UT Libraries as well as low-cost e-textbooks that are part of VolShop’s Total Access program.

“UT Libraries continually strives to improve the library user experience,” said Dean of Libraries Steve Smith. “We are proud to partner with the VolShop to ensure every student has the resources they need to succeed.”

In Fall Semester 2025, Total Access saved 30,988 UT Knoxville undergraduates a total of $3.5 million —  with UT libraries contributing 44 items and approximately $38,000 of those savings.

“The partnership between VolBooks and the Libraries represents the very best of what we can achieve when we work together on behalf of students,” said VolShop director Brian Wright. “By combining the strength of academic resources with innovative retail solutions, we’ve built a program that ensures affordability, removes barriers, and provides first-day digital access to course materials.”