October 21, 2019

Now that we’re half-way through the fall term, I wanted to share some exciting Open Access engineering resources that you might find helpful in your course work.

What are Open Textbooks?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of college textbooks rose 88% between 2006 and 2016. The high cost of required textbooks leads many students to forgo purchasing textbooks altogether, take fewer courses, or even drop or fail a course.

Open textbooks are a solution to some of these academic and financial concerns students face today.

As defined by the Open Textbook Library, “Open textbooks are textbooks that [can be] freely used, adapted, and distributed… These books can be downloaded for no cost or printed at low cost.”

Open textbooks give faculty more control over their instructional resources, and they also increase access to information and higher education by reducing student costs.

Engineering Resources

Did you know that there are thousands of Open Access engineering textbooks and other resources available online?

Check out my recommendations for Open Textbooks that might help you in your coursework or your general quest for knowledge! Our Open Access Library Resource Guide also has lots of information about Open Access in general.

Still have questions? Contact me for more information or to set up a consultation to talk about Open Access materials.

Celebrate Open Access Week: Attend an OER Panel Discussion

Every October, academics and researchers around the world use Open Access Week as a platform to promote the benefits of Open Access.

This year, as part of its own Open Access Week celebration, the Drexel Libraries is hosting a panel discussion with three faculty members who are working to bring OERs and other low-cost and no-cost textbook alternatives to Drexel to help students succeed. The event is open to all students, faculty and staff, and learn more or register on our website.  

By Jay Bhatt, Engineering Librarian