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
LibreTexts: LibreTexts contains a large library of open textbooks available for editing and remixing (including many OpenStax titles). Their web-based Remixer tool allows for integrated editing and re-organizing of texts. Sections and chapters can be downloaded as a PDF for easy printing or imported into an LMS. The LibreTexts Construction Guide provides additional details on editing with the platform.
EdTech Books: EdTech Books is an online library and book editor built specifically for the creation of open textbooks. Despite the name, EdTech Books hosts books about much more than educational technology. Their platform is entirely free to use and based around a straightforward hypertext editor, with a focus on embedding media, interactive elements. Finished books are able to be exported as a PDF for easy printing. The EdTech Books User Guide provides information on how to use the platform's wide variety of features.
Pressbooks: Pressbooks is an online software for use in editing open books that allows authors to publish in a wide variety of formats—web, PDF, EPUB, and more. It's interface functions similarly to other in-browser editors, with tools for importing content, editing, organizing chapters and sections, and customizing the book's appearance. A full guide to using the Pressbooks platform is available. Note: Although this version of Pressbooks is free to use, it places limits on the types and amount of content than can be uploaded. At this time, Gettysburg College does not have a PressbooksEDU plan.
Word processors: Many open textbooks are available to edit in .DOC or similar file formats. These files can be edited using Microsoft Word, Google Docs or other word processing programs, many of which have options for exporting into other file formats. If you can't find an editable version of an open textbook, please contact us, and we'll do our best to help get you one!
Creative Commons Search: Searches a variety of web sources for images licensed under the Creative Commons. Results can be sorted by license, file type, image type, source, etc.
Noun Project: Simple free icons, published with CC licenses or in the public domain.
Wikimedia Commons: Wikipedia's repository of openly licensed media files. The page for each file contains license and author details.
Google Image Search: Google's image search tool provides filters that can be used to search for freely-licensed content. See their guide to finding free-to-use images to learn how.
Using video in OER can be very engaging, but openly licensed videos are less readily available than open images. Often, it is better practice and easier to embed content hosted on an existing video streaming platform like YouTube or Vimeo than to try to download or make a copy of a video.
To embed video from an existing video hosting platform, find the share button (typically below the video player) and copy the link or embed code to use in your work. Which you need will depend on the platform in which you embed the video.