What are OERs?
The concept of Open Educational Resources generally refers to teaching or learning materials in a variety of mediums which exist in the public domain or have been developed with the intention that they may be shared, adapted, or modified.
Why use OERs?
Aside from the cost savings for students, the fact that OERs can be shared, adapted or modified will likely be beneficial in that they can offer a customized solution for course materials.
How frequently are OERs used compared to traditional textbooks?
Recent studies indicate the use of OERs for introductory classes has increased, however, the number of instructors who indicated that they will continue to choose OERs has decreased. For a better understanding of recent OER use trends, see the Babson Survey Research Group report titled Freeing the Textbook: Open Education Resources in U.S. Higher Education, 2018
What is EBSCO Faculty Select?
EBSCO Faculty Select allows for faculty members to search open textbooks, OERs, and library owned eBooks through one search interface. Instructors can also use EBSCO Faculty Select to make requests for the library to purchase eBooks that will be useful as supplements and to the library digital collections in general.
EBSCO Faculty Select is only available for use by instructors. A link can be found in the Academic Reference Room. The path is as follows:
Academic Reference Room -> Training and Libraries -> Content -> Faculty Select
If OERs are free, how are authors compensated for their work?
While some authors do publish their works without expectation of compensation, there are many open textbook companies that pay editors and authors for their work. It is also common for government grants or donations from philanthropic organizations to fund the processes of publishing and OERs.
What are DRM free eBooks and why should I consider using one as a supplement?
Digital Rights Management (DRM) refers to a process by which an author, publisher, or owner of a digital product will protect a copyrighted work. By selecting either a DRM free eBook or one which allows for multiple users that has been purchased by the library, you may be able to offer a high quality work as a supplement to the entire class.