Research Guides: Open Educational Resources (OER) &amp; Textbook Equity: Applied Engineering/Technical Management

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.
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.

What if I want to share course materials I've created or modify/customize something listed here?

Whether you have a homegrown course "packet" or aspire to create an entire textbook, Rod Library can support you in creating, licensing, and sharing materials that you intend to be free of charge. This includes modifying existing materials that are openly-licensed. Details: https://guides.lib.uni.edu/oer/authoring

What about government documents?

U.S. federal agency documents are automatically and immediately in the Public Domain. There are no copyright restrictions. For state or other agency documents, refer directly to any copyright notices or restrictions indicated on each resource.

Suggested Resources

Included on this guide are key tools for finding Open Educational Resources (OER) in Engineering. In addition, the Open Textbook Library can be a useful resource. Some free materials 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 Find Open Textbooks tab on the left side 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).

SkillsCommons is also a great resource for modifiable materials in technical fields, searchable or browseable by industry.

Key OER Resources & Institutional Examples in Engineering

Open Textbooks for Engineering
Listed by engineering discipline, this list is curated by The Scholarly Communications Committee from the Engineering Libraries Division of the American Society for Engineering Education. Resources fall within the following areas.