Library Services for Faculty

Open educational resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials in any medium that are released under an open license that allow free access, use, reuse, and adaptation by others. OER can include individual lessons or modules; supplemental course materials such as presentations, test banks, and handouts; or full-length textbooks.

Library resources (e.g., ebooks, journal articles, videos, etc.) and Digital Rights Management (DRM) free textbooks are other affordable options for course materials.

Here are just some of the benefits of using OER and other affordable materials for your courses:

• Affordability - Students appreciate the potentially significant cost savings associated with using OER and affordable materials in place of traditional textbooks.
• Diversity - Students can gain a better perspective on a topic by using multiple sources rather than one text.
• Flexibility - OER can be revised and remixed to meet specific course goals.
• Usability - Students can choose to access OER materials on a variety of devices and locations.
• Up-to-date content - OER can be edited and updated more quickly than traditional textbooks.

If you are interested in exploring OER and other affordable options for your course, please visit our OER guide or contact OER Librarian Tonya Otto at totto@pennwest.edu.