Research Guides: Open Educational Resources (OER) &amp; Textbook Equity: Find Resources by Discipline

How do I even start if I'm thinking about textbook equity/affordability?

Request a Course Materials Affordability Review
Instructors can complete this form and attach a syllabus (a draft or even a topic list would be sufficient). Rod Library faculty will review course concepts and share some free and/or affordable resources that may have potential for the course. Allow about 2 weeks. Instructors have ultimate responsibility for reviewing course material quality as well as academic freedom to select the best course materials.
What can I expect? This 13-minute video walks through a typical Affordability Review a faculty member would receive.
Place course materials on course reserve through Rod Library
Course reserves allow equal access to library (or instructor-owned) copies of course materials for all students. Rod Library can place physical materials on reserve at the Library Services Desk for in-house 3-hour checkout (or other time specified by instructor). In addition, up to 10% of a book may be scanned by library staff and placed on electronic course reserve for up to one semester.
Join the UNI Textbook Equity Google Group
This Google Group is for faculty, staff, and students interested in the campuswide Textbook Equity initiative. Occasional announcements, including funding opportunities, will be shared via this email-based group. Contact Anne Marie Gruber to be added.

Suggested Resources

Included on this guide's tabs are selected Open Educational Resources (OER) in various broad disciplines, with an emphasis on resources used by other Iowa colleges/universities as well as textbooks reviewed in the Open Textbook Library or by relevant associations. Some free resources may be included that aren't technically OER because they do not have open licenses. Be sure to evaluate each resource for quality and usage rights.

For more, use the Open Textbooks tab of this guide. Rod Library's OneSearch also includes some open textbooks as well as licensed ebooks; note that if you plan to use a library-licensed ebook for a course, you need to notify your liaison librarian well in advance (more on textbooks & library ebooks).

Collections/Lists by Discipline

Case Studies

Open Case Studies
University of British Columbia. Searchable by subject area. Each case study includes: learning outcomes, "essential question" to consider while reading, group discussion questions, and supplemental scholarly material that is open-access.

Cases on Social Issues: For Class Discussion by Maultsaid
Call Number: ebook

Publication Date: 2023
Critical Employment, Ethical, and Legal Scenarios in Human Resource Development by Hughes
Call Number: ebook

Publication Date: 2020
Delivering on the Promise of Democracy: Visual Case Studies in Educational Equity and Transformation by Jhaj
Call Number: ebook

Publication Date: 2019
Health Case Studies by Rees, Kruger, & Morrison
Call Number: ebook

Publication Date: 2017
OATCJ: Open Access Teaching Case Journal by OATCJ Editorial Committee
Call Number: ebook

Publication Date: 2023 (ongoing)

Not modifiable but otherwise openly-licensed for distribution, download, etc.
SNF Agora Institute Case Studies on Democracy by Johns Hopkins University
Call Number: online

Publication Date: 2024

Free and downloadable, but not modifiable and not available for commercial use.
Working With Academic Literacies: Case Studies Towards Transformative Practice by Lillis, Harrington, Lea, and Mitchell
Call Number: ebook

Publication Date: 2015