Southern Illinois University Carbondale
How Do I Adopt an Open Textbook?
1. Find the right textbook
Search the repositories listed to the right. Use advanced search options to narrow results. Ask a librarian for help in identifying OER textbooks or other low or no cost resources.
2. Review and evaluate
Decide if the book matches your needs for content, presentation, online accessibility, production options, platform compatibility, delivery options, interactivity, consistency between online and printed versions, and available ancillary material.
3. Decide if you want to use “as is” or edit
One of the benefits of open textbooks is flexibility to modify and customize them for specific course designs as much or as little as you desire. If you want to make edits or append content, make sure the licensing allows that. Different repositories will have different options for editing and publishing revised copies.
4. Distribute it to your students
Select the best format to distribute to your class (online, downloadable PDF, ePub, print-on-demand).
From Open Textbooks: The affordable, flexible alternative by CARLI Open Illinois Initiative under a CC BY 3.0.
