OER Repositories

There are millions of openly licensed resources out there, scattered across the Web. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to find relevant resources. The first four minutes of this video provide a nice overview of some of the more common search repositories and tools for finding OER. (The last two minutes of this video covers OER evaluation. We will cover OER evaluation in Module 5.)

Searching an OER repository can result in a faster and more productive search experience since the resources have been curated and organized into various categories including discipline, format, and open license. Many repositories have either peer reviews or a rating scale where users have shared their perception or experience with the resource. Start by trying these well-known and user-friendly repositories:

OER Commons: the go-to repository if you are looking for supplementary resources from lesson plans to full courses.

SkillsCommons: a comprehensive collection of workforce-related OER created by over 700 community colleges across the US as part of the Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program.

Open Textbook Repositories

If you are looking for an open textbook to replace your current, commercial textbook, start by visiting one of these textbook repositories.

Open Textbook Library: supported by the Open Education Network at the University of Minnesota, available resources include mainly college-level open textbooks. The repository includes faculty peer reviews, licensing information, a summary of content, format availability, and direct links to resources. It can be searched by keyword or by browsing discipline areas.

OpenStax: a non-profit out of Rice University, OpenStax offers peer-reviewed open textbooks in a variety of subject areas. Their focus is on high enrollment lower-level undergraduate courses. Student and instructor resources are available along with multiple digital formats for download. You can work with the campus bookstore to arrange for print copies for purchase on campus.

LibreTexts: a non-profit primarily out of UC Davis, LibreTexts offers open textbooks in a variety of subject areas.

BCcampus OpenEd: Includes a collection of open textbooks aligned with the top 40 highest-enrolled subject areas in British Columbia as well as open textbooks for trades, technology, and skills training.

Pressbooks Directory: Pressbooks is one of the most well-known and well-used platforms for the creation of open textbooks. You can search all books published on the Pressbooks platform and use the "License" filter to exclude "All Rights Reserved" books, leaving you with a list of openly licensed and public domain textbooks.

It is worth noting that many open textbooks can be found in multiple repositories. For example, you may find the same textbook in the Open Textbook Library, LibreTexts, and the Pressbooks Directory. For this reason, it is helpful to document your resources as you conduct your search.