Open-Access (OA) literature, or Open Educational Resources (OERs), are "digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. OA removes price barriers (subscriptions, licensing fees, pay-per-view fees) and permission barriers (most copyright and licensing restrictions). The shorthand definition —"free availability and unrestricted use"— succinctly captures both elements." -Peter Suber, Director, Harvard Open Access Project
What this means for you is that faculty can assign these textbooks for their classrooms, edit them to fit their needs, and students can access them for free without having to pay the high fees generally associated with a traditional textbook. You can also use these books as resources for research and interest, as they cover a wide range of subjects and are peer reviewed by professionals in their respective subject fields.
Image from the University of Maryland
The Open Textbook Library hosts textbooks that have been "funded, published, and licensed to be freely used, adapted, and distributed. These books have been reviewed by faculty from a variety of colleges and universities to assess their quality. These books can be downloaded for no cost, or printed at low cost. All textbooks are either used at multiple higher education institutions; or affiliated with an institution, scholarly society, or professional organization." -open.umn.edu
The Open Textbook Library is supported by the Center for Open Education and the Open Textbook Network.
Frequently asked questions about the Open Textbook Library.
Modifying an Open Textbook: What You Need to Know
*We recommend starting your search here as OTN is a larger depository, with hundreds of free textbooks covering dozens of subjects.
Image from The Ohio State University
"OpenStax is a nonprofit based at Rice University, and it’s our mission to improve student access to education. Our first openly licensed college textbook was published in 2012, and our library since scaled to more than 20 books for college and AP courses used by hundreds of thousands of students. Our adaptive learning technology, designed to improve learning outcomes through personalized educational paths, is being piloted in college courses across the country. Through our partnerships with philanthropic foundations and our alliance with other educational resource companies, OpenStax is breaking down the most common barriers to learning and empowering students and instructors to succeed." OpenStax.org/about
*The best thing about OpenStax is that they have comprehensive textbooks on general topics, with a focus on the sciences. Unfortunately, with less than 50 textbooks available, they have a limited number to choose from. We recommend checking both OpenStax and the OTN for a complete list of available resources.
Did you know? With a free library card from any of the public libraries in our area, you have free access to eBooks, audiobooks, movies, and music without leaving the comfort of your home. As long as you have Internet access, a smart device (tablet, smart phone, or computer), and a library card you can download content from anywhere, with no late fees!
The Kanawha County Public Library system has 12 locations in and around Charleston, WV. A library card from any one of them allows you to check out content in person and online for all 12 locations.
WV Deli and Hoopla are the primary ways to get access to online content through the Kanawha County Public Libraries System. For use on a smart phone or tablet, download the OverDrive app.
For more on accessing eBooks and other content through your local Kanawha County public library, as well as library locations, visit http://kanawhalibrary.org/
*The South Charleston Public Library also uses Hoopla and WV Deli!
The WV Library Commission, along with the 8 public libraries in the Western Counties Regional (Cabell County) Library system, use the WV Reads platform to give patrons access to online content. Apply for a card thorough the WV Library Commission or Cabell County.
Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
Aims to increase discoverability of Open Access books and journals.
Links to subject-organized open textbooks.
Free eBooks in PDF format.
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
Collections from libraries, archives, and museums.
A commercial site that offers access to public domain books.
In Settings, the Advanced Search option allows users to retrieve "Full view only" to retrieve books in their entirety.
In the Advanced Search, select Full-View Only.
Library of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.
Offers selections from libraries all over the world via a crowdfunding platform where they support Open Access by selecting publisher titles at a clear and sustainable price.
OER (Open Educational Resources) Commons
This catalog contains hundreds of college-level open textbooks from higher education institutions around the world.
Cultural & educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community.
A directory of academic open access repositories.
Florida's digital repository, it provides access to hundreds of open resources for higher education, organized by subject area.
Free eBooks.
Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR)
International directory of open access institutional and national repositories.
A wide selection of open access books across various disciplines.
University of California Press eBooks
Can be viewed online, but no download option for offline or device use.
University of Pittsburgh Press Digital Editions
Free viewing online but does not support downloads.
A fee-based build-your-own-textbook service that offers three different options for purchasing the book: digital download, paperback, or hardcover.