Open Educational Resources are instruction materials that are free to use and repurpose, either because they’ve been licensed for open use or because they’re in the public domain. Instructors can adopt an openly-licensed textbook as is or modify it, rewriting content and remixing chapters to better suit instructional outcomes. Students can access a digital copy of the textbook for free or purchase a print copy for a low cost.
Find more info in the Open Oregon FAQ.
OER Collections
OER Search Tools
Creative Commons licenses allow creators to govern how their work will be used and distributed. Licenses range from CC BY, which allows remixing, revising, and commercial use of a work, to CC BY-NC-ND, which allows only unaltered, noncommercial copying and distribution.
All the licenses require attribution (BY), or crediting the work's creator. For information on attributions, see Open Oregon's attribution guide, or Open Washington has created a convenient Open Attribution Builder.
Follow this flow chart to get started using OER resources. Feel free to contact a Reference Librarian if you need help.
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Get departmental approval. Speak with your department head to get approval and confirm that another effort isn’t already in progress. |
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Let the Online Bookstore know that you’re considering changing your textbook. This is important for textbook inventory management. |
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Explore and evaluate resources. Explore the resources linked above or contact a librarian to assist in your search. |
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Select resource(s). Many OERs are available in both ebook format and print. You can embed a PDF in Blackboard or provide students with a link to the ebook. If a textbook is not yet in print but a PDF is available, low-cost print copies can easily be created. Email us at Librarian@rogucc.edu for more information on how to do this. |
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Notify the Bookstore of textbook change (at least two terms before planned adoption). If you find a textbook that meets your needs, contact the Bookstore. For a Fall term adoption, let the Bookstore know you’re making a change by the end of Winter term. The Bookstore requires that print versions be changed no more than once a year. |
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Adopting |
Adapting or Creating |
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Choose accessible platform. If you find a resource you want to modify, email Librarian@roguecc.edu for information on tools and platforms. |
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Create print format (if necessary) |
Modify resource |
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License your work. When you alter a work or create a new work, you'll need to license it. See the "Licensing and Attribution" box above, or contact a librarian for assistance. |
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Create PDF |
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Submit Bookstore order. |
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Submit no-cost/low-cost textbook designation. |
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Email a librarian and tell us what you're looking for. We can simplify your search.