Open Textbooks

The Open Textbook movement focuses on the creation of books that are built specifically for use as free or low-cost options for education.  Many of the collections will have links to the same books, but each repository has a particular focus, and items you can’t find in other collections.

  • The University of Minnesota Open Textbook Catalog (https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/)
    • This site is a clearinghouse of links to books housed in various locations, including OpenStax, Saylor and others, with over 140 books.
    • To be on the list, the books must be used by author’s institution and by at least one other institution.
  • OpenStax College (http://openstaxcollege.org) These books were developed following traditional textbook publishing methods, including peer review, editorial support, and creation of ancillary content.  These books are available in multiple formats (PDF, print on demand, on the Web) and are licensed to be revised and remixed by faculty who want create a custom solution for a course.
  • British Columbia Open Campus Textbook list
    • This collection includes texts written specifically for the BC OpenTextbook initiative (the plan to have 40 books by September of 2014) as well as books from other sources.
    • You can find out more about the BC textbook project.
  • Lumen Learning (http://lumenlearning.com/browse-courses/)
    • Lumen provides open courses in a variety of high-demand subjects and disciplines. These courses are collections of high-quality OER, not necessarily as a traditional texbook.  You can use them as-is or modify them to fit your instructional style and students’ needs.
  • HathiTrust (http://www.hathitrust.org)
    • HathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.  HathiTrust materials can be searched through the OU Libraries.
  • The Directory of OpenAccess Books (http://www.doabooks.org/doab)
    • This site is a clearinghouse of links to books hosted in various locations, and includes a large selection of international textbooks.
  • Saylor.org Bookshelf (http://www.saylor.org/books/)
    • This collection includes books written specifically for Saylor.org as well as the original editions of the FlatWorldKnowledge textbooks (subsequent editions are only offered for purchase).
    • You can view all their resources by subject area in their library.
  • Flatworld Knowledge (http://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com)
    • Flatworld provides faculty customizable books for a relatively low cost to students.  Access to the content is primarily through their website.  Flatworld is strongest in business.
    • Many of their original books are available under a more open Creative Commons license by-nc-sa 3.0, (the newer books from their site require student purchase and use of the Flatworld site).
  • Open Access Publishing in European Networks (http://www.oapen.org/home)
    • The OAPEN Library contains freely accessible academic books, mainly in the area of Humanities and Social Sciences.  OAPEN has books in multiple languages and covering a large variety of topics.
    • There is a range of licensing for the books, but each books is clearly marked with the license.
  • The National Academies Press (http://www.nap.edu)
    • Unlike some of the open textbook initiatives these books are publicly available but not openly licensed.  You can link to the content, and even link directly to specific pages.  However, you cannot remix and redistribute the content.

This is not a complete list, and this list will be periodically updated.

Creative Commons License

The Trinity Library OER Guide is adapted under Creative Commons licensing from OU Libraries OER LibGuide for the use of the Trinity Washington University community. This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. All linked-to content adheres to its respective license.