What should you look for in an OER Textbook?
1. Access – A textbook available via website requires an Internet connection and is subject to the whims of the web. A download-able textbook available as a PDF or in other formats can be a much better choice for students.
2. Conditions of Use – Is a Creative Commons license attached? Know what you can and can’t do with the textbook. Most will give you the freedom to make changes.
3. Cost – Nearly all OER textbooks are free onlin. Also, some free textbooks offer the option of a printed copy for nearly the cost of printing.
4. Supplemental Materials – Some OER textbooks, like many from OpenStax, come with supplemental materials like teacher’s editions and PowerPoints. Your Librarian can help research what is available.
5. Reliability/Authority – We take for granted that commercial textbooks are authoritative and reliable. Many OER textbook sites have reviews available and all should list the author's credentials. Remember that many OERs are funded through charitable foundations; the authors are still being compensated for their time and effort and the work is peer-reviewed.
BC Campus Open Textbook Review
A guide to help you look for all the great things traditional textbooks have; things you might take for granted.
The following are excellent collections of OER textbooks:
• Open Textbook Library - Maintained by the University of Minnesota, this site is meant to help professors by collecting the best of the open textbooks and making them available in one place with published peer reviews. This is the best comprehensive collection of its kind.
• OpenStax - This Rice University-affiliated publisher creates peer-reviewed textbooks focusing on courses taught the first two years of college. Its textbooks are some of the best out there and many come with ancillaries.
• Affordable Learning Georgia/Galileo - The University System of Georgia sponsors a robust OER creation program. Choose the "All USG Open Textbooks" lnk and take advantage of its work.
• Milne Open Textbooks - The State University of New York (SUNY) continues to add to its large library of open textbooks that range from first-year to graduate-level texts on a wide array of subjects.
• VIVA Adopts - See OER resources adopted by teaching faculty across Virginia.
• Open Textbook Store - For mathematics only, this site contains a short list of open textbooks deemed adoptable for college classrooms. See the link for a full description of the site's philosophy. Find the books under "catalog" at the top.
• NOBA - (Psychology) A free, online platform that provides high-quality, flexibly structured textbooks and educational materials. These materials are OER-licensed so users may reuse, redistribute, and remix the content to suit their needs.
• LibreTexts - An online platform that allows instructors to create courses in many academic disciplines using OER materials. This resource prioritizes access for students and flexibility for instructors.
Would you like additional information or help?
Contact Dale Dulaney, Collections & OER Librarian, ddulaney@virginiawestern.edu, 857-7438.
Brown Library
3095 Colonial Ave. SW
Phone: 540.857.7303
