Mason OER Metafinder: Described as the "Google of OER's", this site allows you to simultaneously search across 15 OER platforms including HathiTrust, MERLOT II, OAOpen.org, OER Commons, OpenStax, DPLA, Project Gutenberg and more.
Directory of Open Access Books: A service of OAPEN Foundation, DOAB is being developed in close cooperation with individuals who were also responsible for the development of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Discoverable through Mason OER Metafinder (linked above).
EdTech Books:Initiative led by faculty of the Instructional Psychology & Technology Department at Brigham Young University. While all the content is free, licenses differ from one title to the next.
MIT OpenCourseware Educator Portal: Discover and use course content, presentations, exam questions, lecture notes, image galleries and more
OER Commons: Offers a comprehensive infrastructure for curriculum experts and instructors at all levels to identify high-quality OER and collaborate around their adaptation, evaluation, and use to address the needs of teachers and learners.
OpenStax: A non-profit organization within Rice University offering open access peer-reviewed online textbooks to improve student access to education. Included in the Open Textbook Library and discoverable through Mason OER Metafinder (linked above).
Open Textbook Library: A growing collection of free, peer-reviewed, and openly-licensed textbooks which may be adapted to suit faculty purposes. Includes the OpenStax textbooks and is discoverable through Mason OER Metafinder (linked above).
Teaching Commons: Curated by librarians and their institutions and hosted by bepress, the Teaching Commons includes open-access textbooks, course materials, lesson plans, multimedia, lectures, k-12 materials, and more.
Course Redesign Grants
Are you interested in textbook affordability for W&M students? If so, there is some new funding and resources available from Virginia’s academic library consortium, VIVA, to fund up to $30,000 per applicant or applicant team for adopting, adapting or creating openly-licensed textbooks and/or course materials. Funds can cover faculty and staff time and compensation, including course release time, overload pay, and replacement coverage, depending on institutional and departmental policies. The RFP, application, evaluation criteria and more are all described on the VIVA Course Redesign Grants program page.
Interested in decreasing textbook costs for W&M students, but haven't found an OER yet? You might consider the following alternatives:
Placing a physical copy of the textbook on reserve in the library.
Adopting an ebook licensed through W&M libraries and available through the online catalog. Many ebooks within the following collections are licensed for unlimited simultaneous users:
Contact your liaison librarian or the publishing and open access librarian for more info.