Assistant Dean and Director of Scholarly Communications
Library 16
717.337.7010
jwertzbe@gettysburg.edu
Scholarly Communications Librarian
Library 15
717.337.7031
melmquis@gettysburg.edu
We recommend telling students about their open textbook through as many channels as possible—you never know where they might look! We highly encourage reporting your open textbook adoption to the College Bookstore (more below). This will give students a centralized place to check on their required texts and may also open up options for printed textbooks (more below). We also recommend noting that the book is free and open in your syllabus, and even reaching out to your students before the start of classes to let them know about their textbook.
Yes, please notify the College Bookstore! There are at least two reasons to do so:
Because the open license under which open textbooks are printed all allow redistribution, open textbooks can be printed, and there are many options for doing so. Some open textbook publishers, like OpenStax, offer low-cost hardcover editions that are sold online or can be ordered through the College Bookstore. Many open textbooks are also offered as formatted, downloadable PDFs that can be printed by the College print shop or through print-on-demand services—even if the materials are published under a noncommercial license. You or your students can also print chapters or copies on home or library computers.
These "extras" that often accompany commercial textbooks are called ancillary resources. Many open textbooks have ancillaries that are only available to confirmed instructors. OER Commons is the first place we look for ancillaries that support specific titles. Don't hesitate to contact us at oer@gettysburg.edu with questions about ancillaries.
Librarians can help with your search! Tell us what you currently use and/or what you hope to find, and we will create a short list of OER for you to consider. Spend your valuable time evaluating OER rather than searching for them. Email us at OER@gettysburg.edu!