This guide is a practical resource for Sacred Heart University faculty looking to replace or supplement their course texts with quality, open textbooks.
In this guide, you will find:
Links to major open textbook repositories
Strategies for locating open textbooks beyond these resources
Open textbooks are faculty-written, peer-reviewed textbooks published under open licenses. They offer:
Free online access for students
Flexibility to adapt content for your course (for OER materials)
No access codes or edition changes forcing repurchases
Most open textbooks are licensed as Open Educational Resources (OER) or Open Access (OA), allowing various levels of reuse and adaptation.
Recommended Starting Point:
Open Textbook Library - Clean, user-friendly interface with a large and growing collection. Check the front page for newly available titles.
Additional Major Repositories:
MERLOT - Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
Find curated lists from other institutions
Many academic libraries create subject-specific open textbook guides. Try searching: "[your subject] open textbook libguide"
Example: "anatomy open textbook libguide"
Get personalized help from SHU librarians
Not sure where to start? Find your subject librarian for help finding and evaluating open textbooks.
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