schools: are "customized" books common?

[olcvisual]

A school's Intro to Graphic Design book actually combines pages from different books (graphic communications, design principles and problems, understanding comics). Is this a new trend?

[PrintDriver]

Not new. I had Profs doing that 15 years ago when they couldn't find one single text to fit the bill.
Thank the Prof you didn't have to buy all the individual books.

PrintDriver is a large format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing