OER & Textbook Affordability

FSU Libraries has been working on a number of open educational resource (OER) initiatives to increase awareness for the textbook affordability movement and promote adoption. 

In a recent survey, 72% of FSU students (n = 350) reported having not purchased a required textbook due to high cost. Our findings underline the impact of the textbook affordability problem on FSU students and suggest that the vast majority of our students would support broader adoption of affordable online textbooks. Our team is looking forward to continuing to advocate for change in this space, providing both students and instructors with the information and resources they need to make a difference. The Libraries also support textbook affordability through course material support; find more information on Course Materials.

Alternative Textbook Grants

FSU Libraries' Alternative Textbook Grants supported FSU instructors in replacing commercial textbooks with open educational resources, open textbooks, or library-licensed eResources that are available to students at no cost. Studies show students have similar or increased success and engagement in courses with open materials. Openly licenses materials support academic freedom and learning outcomes, allowing instructors and students to contribute to knowledge exchange in new, meaningful ways. At this time, Alternative Textbook Grants are not being offered.

Current Projects  

Our OER team works on wide-ranging projects to support textbook affordability. Some of our current initiatives are:

OER Canvas Course for Instructors

Enroll in this course to learn more about Open Educational Resources. This course is organized into five areas, which represent different aspects of OER.

Recorded Workshops & Events

We have made many of our past OER workshops and events available to all. Browse our recorded workshops to see which sessions are relevant to you.

OER on OER

Created by the EME5250 group at FSU, this open guide provides an overview of open educational resources and several resources about finding, adapting, and using open course materials.