OER and AL$ @ Sacramento State University Library
This page is designed to help faculty explore Open Educational Resources (OER) and other zero-cost or low-cost materials that reduce student expenses while supporting high-quality teaching and learning.
Open Educational Resources (OER) are free-to-use teaching and learning materials that are openly licensed, allowing for reuse, revision, and redistribution. Learn more from UNESCO: Open Educational Resources. They include videos, textbooks, quizzes, learning modules and more. Contact Mary-Kate Finnegan, Scholarly Communication Librarian or your subject librarian for information on OER materials for your classes and subject area.
Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) refers to textbooks and materials that are free to students because they are already available through the Library or other institutional channels. By reducing CSU student course material expenses, more students acquire the educational resources they need to succeed at CSU. With AL$, faculty and students have greater access to quality free and lower cost learning materials through a variety of programs and partnerships. Learn more from Affordable Learning Solutions at Sacramento State.
Find Course Materials for Students
Help us find the best course materials for your students! Share the textbooks or resources you currently use, and we’ll recommend affordable options, including OER, low-cost alternatives, and library-provided materials. Please note: This form is intended to help faculty find open, library-licensed, or otherwise zero-cost options for course materials. It is not a request to purchase materials or place items on course reserve. For those services, please use the Course Reserve Request Form.
Browse these Open Textbooks
OER Resources
- CalState-Pressbooks - A digital publishing platform available to CSU faculty for creating, adapting, and sharing Open Educational Resources (OER) and interactive course materials.
- Course Books Available at the Sac State University Library
- Cool4Ed - Easy access to quality FREE and OPEN eTextbooks.
- Internet Archive: Open Educational Resources - Free courses, video lectures, and supplemental materials from universities in the United States and China.
- LibreText Commons - Curated Open Educational Resources
- MERLOT - MERLOT's Open Textbook Initiative (CSU).
- OER by Subject: Humbolt State Research Guide - OER organized by department.
- OER Commons - A dynamic digital library of open education resources and a network of educators dedicated to curriculum improvement.
- Open Education Consortium - A global network of educational institutions, individuals and organizations that support OER.
- Openstax - A nonprofit organization committed to improving student access to quality learning materials.
OER and AL$ Grants for Faculty
Sac State's Center for Teaching and Learning coordinates campus-wide OER efforts. Contact Andrea Terry for more information. CTL can help faculty achieve the following goals:
- Allow faculty, staff and students easy access to find low-cost or free textbooks and course content.
- Recognize the efforts of faculty to reduce costs for students.
- Share and learn from other CSU faculty about OER and AL$ efforts.
Additional Resources